Philadelphia/Houston: The quarter-final line-up has begun to take shape at the 23rd FIFA World Cup, with the first two teams booking their places in the last eight. Former champions and 2022 runners-up France edged past Paraguay 1-0 in a thrilling Round of 16 clash on Saturday night to reach the quarter-finals. Earlier, Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 to knock out the co-hosts, making Canada the first host nation to be eliminated from this World Cup.
The two other host nations, the United States and Mexico, are yet to play their Round of 16 matches. Mexico will face England, while the United States will take on Belgium.
In the sweltering heat of Philadelphia, France battled hard to overcome Paraguay 1-0 and reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive tournament.
Mbappe’s Penalty Sends France Through
France were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute after a foul by a Paraguay player. Kylian Mbappe calmly converted the spot-kick to score the only goal of the match and hand France a 1-0 lead.
Apart from that decisive strike, the match was marked by several physical clashes between the players of both teams. Neither side could add another goal, and France held on for a narrow victory to secure a place in the quarter-finals. France had also reached the last eight in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Morocco Become First Team to Reach the Quarter-finals
Morocco became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating co-hosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday night.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, finding the net in the 50th and 82nd minutes, while Rahimi added the third goal in the 98th minute to seal an emphatic victory.
Also Read:ENG vs IND T20: Bethell Turns the Game Around; Bishnoi’s Costly Over Seals India’s Defeat
Morocco Create African Football History
Morocco have now reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive tournament. They are the first African nation in World Cup history to qualify for the quarter-finals in two successive editions.
Remaining Round of 16 Fixtures
Brazil vs Norway – Today, 1:30 AM (after midnight)
Mexico vs England – Monday, 5:30 AM
Portugal vs Spain – Monday, 12:30 AM (after midnight)
United States vs Belgium – Tuesday, 5:30 AM
Argentina vs Egypt – Tuesday, 9:30 PM
Switzerland vs Colombia – Tuesday, 1:30 AM (after midnight)
Note: The Canada vs Morocco match was played on Saturday night, while the France vs Paraguay match was played in the early hours of Sunday.
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