Mbappé Draws Level With Messi As France Survive Paraguay Scare

France edged past Paraguay on penalties in the last 16 as Kylian Mbappé's seventh goal of the tournament pulled him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

France beat Paraguay on penalties to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Kylian Mbappé scored his seventh goal of the tournament, matching Lionel Messi's all-time record tally at a single World Cup.
Morocco also progressed, continuing their march through the knockout rounds.
England and Mexico are preparing to meet in what is expected to be a high-stakes last-16 clash.
The last-16 stage is now concluded, with the quarter-final lineup confirmed.

France are through to the World Cup quarter-finals after surviving a penalty shootout against Paraguay on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappé's seventh goal of the tournament drawing him level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot charts.

The result confirmed France's place in the last eight but offered no comfort to a side that laboured against a Paraguay outfit that pushed them to the limit before the shootout settled matters.

Mbappé's tally of seven goals now matches the single-tournament record shared by Messi, setting up a race for outright possession of the Golden Boot should France continue their run.

Morocco also advanced Saturday, completing the last-16 lineup and extending a tournament run that has drawn comparisons to their 2022 semi-final campaign.

Attention now turns to England versus Mexico, the final last-16 fixture, with both sides building toward a contest that carries heavy national weight on both sides of the Atlantic.

The quarter-final draw is expected to take place Sunday, with fixtures scheduled across the following week.