---
title: "Mbappé catches Messi: France reaches the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals after victory over Paraguay"
description: "France has reached the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, beating Paraguay thanks to a Mbappé penalty! 🇫🇷⚽ The forward has caught up with Messi in the scoring race and is now a step away from a historic record. Next up is a match against Morocco. 🔥"
date: 2026-07-05T09:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-reaches-2026-world-cup-quarterfinals-mbappe-catches-messi
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Mbappé catches Messi: France reaches the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals after victory over Paraguay

![Kylian Mbappe celebrates a goal for the French national team against Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/05/frantsiya-probilas-v-chetvertfinal-chm-2026-mbappe-dognal-messi/frantsiya-probilas-v-chetvertfinal-chm-2026-mbappe-dognal-messi-1.webp)

The French national team has officially become the second quarterfinalist of the 2026 World Cup. In a tough battle in the round of 16, Didier Deschamps' team managed to break the resistance of the Paraguay national team, which had sensationally knocked Germany out of the tournament the day before.

### Tactical duel and on-field battle

The match developed according to the favorites' scenario from the first minutes. The French confidently seized the initiative, controlling the ball and trying to exploit their advantage. Deschamps' charges regularly earned corners and exerted strong pressure on the opponent's penalty area. However, the Paraguayans demonstrated iron discipline, building a maximally organized defense and hardly leaving their half of the field.

Despite an abundance of chances, the French accuracy in shooting left much to be desired. Attempts by Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, and Ousmane Dembélé did not lead to success, while goalkeeper Orlando Gil distinguished himself in critical situations. In the second half, the pressure from the Europeans only intensified, but the South Americans continued to hold the defense, even after losing leaders Omar Alderete and Julio Enciso due to injuries.

### The decisive penalty and a historic moment

The turning point came in the 69th minute of the match. Désiré Doué made a brave run into the penalty area, where Diego Gómez fouled him. The main referee initially ignored the incident, but after the intervention of the video assistants (VAR) and a personal review, he changed his decision, pointing to the penalty spot.

The captain of the French national team, Kylian Mbappé, stepped up to the ball. He coolly beat the goalkeeper, scoring the only goal of the match — 1:0. After conceding, the Paraguayans tried to organize a counter-attack, but the "Les Bleus" confidently controlled the situation until the final whistle.

### Mbappé in the race for records

This goal was already the seventh for the French forward at the current World Cup. Thanks to this result, Mbappé has caught up with Argentine Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament's scoring race. Moreover, 19 goals at World Cups have allowed Kylian to come very close to Messi's absolute historical record, which stands at 20 goals.

After the match, Mbappé emotionally summed up the game, noting the team's readiness for difficult conditions: "We know how to play ugly football. They thought we would show up in tuxedos, but we were ready. Even in such a game, we were better than them".

### Quarterfinal: France vs Morocco

In the quarterfinal of the world championship, the French national team will meet the Moroccan team, which convincingly crushed Canada with a score of 3:0 in its round of 16 match. The match for a place in the semi-finals is scheduled for July 9 and will start at 23:00 Kyiv time.