Mbappé penalty sends France past Paraguay into World Cup last eight

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé added to his World Cup tally with his 19th career goal in the competition, helping France withstand punishing heat and secure a 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday. The result booked Les Bleus a place in the quarterfinals for the fourth tournament in a row.

France will face Morocco on Thursday at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

An extreme heat warning hung over the fixture as temperatures climbed to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Against a rugged, defence-heavy Paraguay lineup, the breakthrough did not come until the 70th minute, when Mbappé dispatched a penalty.

That solitary strike proved sufficient. Supporters draped in red, white and blue turned out in force on July Fourth in Philadelphia, the city where the United States marked 250 years since its founding.

Video review led to the penalty award after Diego Gómez was penalised for tripping Mbappé. From the spot, Mbappé used a stutter-step before finishing — his 19th goal across 19 World Cup appearances. He now sits one behind Argentina's Lionel Messi, the all-time World Cup scoring leader. Both players have seven goals at this tournament and share the lead in the race for the Golden Boot.

Mbappé claimed that prize at the last World Cup in Qatar, though Messi and Argentina denied France in the final. On Saturday, Mbappé missed a clear breakaway chance in the second half. Manu Koné later saw a well-struck effort towards the top corner pushed aside by goalkeeper Orlando Gill, moments after Ousmane Dembélé had bundled Koné into the net. Gill also denied Mbappé twice during second-half stoppage time.