There was play-acting, time-wasting, outright cheating. But there was also defensive commitment and a resolve to see the game plan through

Morocco beat Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday to become the first team at the World Cup to progress to the quarterfinals.

Kylian Mbappe moves level with Lionel Messi on seven goals at World Cup 2026 as France beat Paraguay 1-0 in last 16.

The referee who officiated France's last-16 victory over Paraguay has come in for fierce criticism from sections of the French media. Ilgiz Tantashev, 42, from Uzbekistan, was judged to have lost control of the fiery encounter,

With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbappe finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute.

France are aiming to become the second nation to make it to the World Cup quarterfinals as they take on Paraguay. Follow it live here, with ESPN.