France advances to the round of 16 after Kylian Mbappé’s penalty breaks deadlock against Paraguay.
It took some time for the game to really evolve in the sweltering summer heat, and both sides exchanged fouls and angry words throughout a first half with just five shots and a combined xG of 0.20 (Paraguay 0.05, France 0.15). In the end, France earned a penalty when Paraguay’s Diego Gomez felled sub Désiré Doué inside the area, and after a lengthy delay for VAR review, referee Ilgiz Tantashev pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Mbappe, sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way and producing the winning margin. The goal, Mbappe’s seventh of the World Cup, ties Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race.
