France battle past Paraguay to set up Morocco World Cup showdown

(AFP) Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot as France overcame searing heat and stubborn defence to beat Paraguay 1-0 and set up a World Cup quarter-final against Morocco on Saturday.

France captain Mbappe coolly stroked in a 70th-minute spot-kick to settle a tense duel with the tough-tackling Paraguayans in furnace-like conditions at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.

The goal was Mbappe's seventh of the tournament, putting him alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.

Paraguay, who pulled off a massive upset in the last 32 by ousting four-time champions Germany on penalties, frustrated France for long periods with an ultra-disciplined defensive effort.

But the introduction of substitute Desire Doue for left winger Bradley Barcola in the 61st minute led to the breakthrough.

Paris Saint-Germain player Doue cut in menacingly from the left and jinked past several Paraguayan players before being upended by Diego Gomez in the area.

There was a brief delay after referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved play on, but when the incident was sent to VAR for review, the Uzbek official swiftly pointed to the spot.

Mbappe stepped up and converted with aplomb to settle a match played in temperatures of around 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) as a heatwave roasted the northeastern United States as it celebrated the July 4 holiday.

"We knew what sort of match we were in for, but I think today went really well," Mbappe said after an ill-tempered affair that saw three France players pick up yellow cards.

"They thought we'd turn up in tuxedos, that we'd just come to pull off some spectacular moves," Mbappe added.

"But we know how to play the dirty game too. And we did that today; we won, and even in that respect we were better than them."

France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals in Foxborough, outside Boston on Thursday -- a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final won by Les Bleus.