France edged into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday, a match defined less by attacking fluency than by friction, fouls, and frayed tempers. The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Kylian Mbappé, hounded and heckled all evening, drove a penalty past the goalkeeper to set up a last-eight meeting with Morocco.

In the build-up to the spot-kick, both sets of players squared off as Paraguayan defenders scraped at the penalty mark. The contest had long since shed any pretence of elegance. Across French, Spanish and Asian media, Mbappé’s post-match words echoed with a blunt clarity: “They thought we’d turn up in tuxedos, that we’d just come to pull off some spectacular moves. 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.” It was a frank admission that, for all their attacking riches, Les Bleus could match South American streetcraft when required.

Paraguay’s approach — deeply compact, physically intimidating, and laced with provocation — drew sharp comment from the French camp. Coach Didier Deschamps, speaking in the mixed zone, revealed he had ordered two of his strongest players to shield Mbappé in the closing minutes, fearing a late foul. “They used every trick,” Deschamps said. “It’s not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium, but they defended well. It’s always difficult against South American teams.” Referee Ilgiz Tantashev issued only three yellow cards — all to France — despite repeated Paraguayan challenges that, in the French view, went unpunished.

Yet Mbappé refused to condemn the opposition’s tactics outright. “Everyone plays to their strengths; there’s no right or wrong way to play football. There’s only one way, and that’s to win,” he noted, a sentiment carried in coverage from Jakarta to Buenos Aires. His penalty — his seventh goal of the tournament and 19th overall at World Cups — drew him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot and reinforced his status as the competition’s most decisive knockout-stage scorer. France, meanwhile, reached their fourth successive quarter-final, a testament to their adaptability across contrasting styles.

The reward is a reunion with Morocco in Boston, a repeat of the 2022 semi-final won 2-0 by France. Mbappé, already anticipating a duel with club-mate Achraf Hakimi, said: “We know they’re a very good team. We’ll give it our all to keep moving forward.” For a side often celebrated for its finesse, the gritty showing in Philadelphia served as a pointed reminder that they can prosper in the muck as readily as in the spotlight.