France progressed past Paraguay in their World Cup group match with a 1-0 victory secured by Kylian Mbappé's penalty kick in Philadelphia during an extreme heatwave. The French dominated possession throughout, recording 208 passes to Paraguay's 33 in the first half alone, and ultimately overwhelmed a Paraguayan side determined to disrupt proceedings through physical tactics.

Paraguay's approach centred on aggressive fouling and intimidation, yet the match officials applied inconsistent discipline, leaving Paraguay unpunished for 13 fouls while France received three yellow cards for their 11 infractions. Mbappé responded to the physical challenge by characterising France's adaptability, asserting the team was prepared to engage in combative play when necessary rather than restricting themselves to their established attacking approach.