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Mbappé Penalty Gives France 1-0 Win, Ties Messi

7/5/2026

26 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Kylian Mbappé scored a VAR-awarded penalty after Diego Gomez fouled Désiré Doué, giving France a 1-0 round-of-16 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia.
The goal took Mbappé to seven tournament goals, tying Lionel Messi and reaching 19 World Cup goals overall.
A shoving clash between Mbappé and Andrés Cubas in the 35th minute preceded three yellow cards for Paraguay.
France will face Morocco in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Boston.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, under Aimé Jacquet, France hosted the World Cup and beat Brazil 3-0 in Paris, earning its first title and launching an era that added Euro 2000 and the 2001 Confederations Cup. The success forged a reliance on star forwards, a blueprint echoed by Kylian Mbappé’s decisive penalty and shapes the 2026 team, France now holding two World Cups.

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Story summary

Kylian Mbappé scored a VAR-awarded penalty after Diego Gomez fouled Désiré Doué, giving France a 1-0 round-of-16 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia.
The goal took Mbappé to seven tournament goals, tying Lionel Messi and reaching 19 World Cup goals overall.
A shoving clash between Mbappé and Andrés Cubas in the 35th minute preceded three yellow cards for Paraguay.
France will face Morocco in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Boston.

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