France records another ho-hum win, as it aims for a third-straight World Cup final

World CupFrance records another ho-hum win, as it aims for a third-straight World Cup final France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals. It hopes to become the first team to reach three-straight finals since Brazil from 1994 to 2002. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Kylian Mbappé of France scores on a penalty kick during the World Cup match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia on Saturday.Richard Sellers / Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 4, 2026, 7:15 PM EDTBy Rohan NadkarniAfter France lost the 2022 World Cup Final, it would have been understandable if the team was dealing with an emotional hangover even four years later.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Looking to defend its 2018 World Cup title, France lost to Argentina in 2022 in one of the greatest matches ever played. Kylian Mbappé became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, but his heroic effort wasn’t enough as Argentina won in penalties.Four years later, there’s not a hint of complacency or dejection in France. Instead, after a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16, France looks poised to become the first team to make three straight finals since Brazil from 1994 to 2002. The round of 16 game Saturday showed off the sheer talent and the depth of this French team. With Paraguay packing in its defense, the game remained scoreless for a while, until France brought in Désiré Doué as a substitute in the 61st minute. On almost any other World Cup team, Doué would be a star. For France, he’s a luxury.Doué’s aggression drew a penalty, which allowed Mbappé to score on a penalty kick, giving him seven goals for the tournament and 19 all time, the second-most in World Cup history behind only Lionel Messi, who currently has 20. For France, the signs of dominance first appeared in the group stage.France kicked off the 2...