Kylian Mbappe serves up perfect Lionel Messi response as France survive ugly Paraguay clash

Kylian Mbappe serves up perfect Lionel Messi response as France survive ugly Paraguay clash PARAGUAY 0-1 FRANCE: Kylian Mbappe returned to the top of the World Cup scoring charts alongside Lionel Messi after netting a second half penalty to take the French to the Last 16 They have been nothing short of magnifique at this World Cup. But the much fancied France laboured to a narrow victory over Paraguay in the sweltering Philadelphia heat thanks to another goal from Kylian Mbappe. In terms of cutting edge, nobody has looked sharper than the French attack, so much so that Didier Deschamps side have emerged as one of the two overwhelming favourites for glory alongside their conquerors of four years ago, Argentina. France at their brilliant best has been a sight to behold and they plundered at least three goals in each of their their prior games to set up this Round of 16 clash. They could probably even be forgiven, too, for thinking they had been handed a more favourable proposition given Paraguay stunned Germany to kill a potential clash of the heavyweights in Philadelphia. That the goals would, perhaps, continue to flow. And yet it proved to be anything but that as goals - and Paraguay heads - wilted in the heat. Adulated for their approach against Germany, Paraguay went from heroes to villains with their aggressive, unapologetic approach to try and unsettle France, who deserve plaudits if not for their actual performance, then for keeping their cool. In the end, it will only taint memories of Paraguay at this tournament, which is a shame given how they handled themselves against Germany. Paraguay smothered France's superstars in an absorbing first half to give themselves a fighting chance of another epic upset, restricting Mbappe, Michael Olise and Co to an xG of just 0.15. And although they didn't exactly lay siege on Mike Maignan in the France goal, they did enough to keep their far more fancied foes on their toes. Ousmane Dembele drilled into the side netting from an acute angle from a slick, quickly taken corner as France upped the ante after the break before Orlando Gill produced a sublime save to thwart Manu Kone. It was Desire Doue who took matters into his hands with a sublime run into the penalty area, twisting and jiving his way through red and white shirts before being sent to the ground by Diego Gomez. It was the game's decisive moment. Mbappe did the rest from 12 yards, stuttering and sending Gill the wrong way to tie Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot. Both are on seven goals apiece, just one shy of the tally that landed Mbappe the very same prize four years ago in Qatar. Both will fancy their chances of plundering more given plenty of games hopefully lie ahead and only a top-class double save from Gill prevented the Real Madrid striker from notching another in additional time. Tempers flared after the goal as Paraguay's players, as they had all game, attempted to bludgeon their opponents into submission with Mbappe on the receiving end of some meaty challenges throughout. Most were either missed or dismissed by referee Ilgiz Tantashev, who did not enjoy his finest hour and offered little protection to Mbappe, who seemed to be targeted by Paraguay players seeking to provoke him in the final moments. The fact France ended up with three yellow cards and Paraguay none tells you exactly how poor Tantashev was. Tempers spilled over at the final whistle briefly but it was Mbappe and France who had the last laugh — both figuratively and literally. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that's 'designed for football' from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.