France and Morocco have secured places in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, setting up the tournament’s first confirmed last-eight fixture.
France edged past Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday, with captain Kylian Mbappe converting a second-half penalty to seal victory.
Les Bleus were frustrated for much of the first half as Paraguay’s defence held firm, leaving the scores level at the break.
The breakthrough came after the restart when Desire Doue was brought down inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to award a spot-kick. Mbappe calmly converted from 12 yards, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to score what proved to be the decisive goal.
France will now take on Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, the Atlas Lions defeated co-hosts Canada 2-0 to become the first team to book a place in the last eight. The victory also ensured Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the second successive tournament.
