Can World Cup 'dirty tricks' stop France? Do spy fears prove USMNT is in the big time? Day 24 recap

France kept its World Cup title credentials intact on Day 24, reaching the last 16 by beating Paraguay 1-0, but the match highlighted how hard it can be to break a physical, disrupt-the-rhythm approach. Didier Deschamps’ side had Kylian Mbappé on target again, taking his tally to seven goals and leveling him in the Golden Boot race with Lionel Messi. The contest was tight: France managed only five shots on target and needed a penalty to force the win. Elsewhere, Canada were eliminated as co-hosts, losing 3-0 to Morocco after missing early chances, with Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi scoring in the second half. Morocco became the first African team to reach consecutive quarter-finals. The USMNT also moved to prevent potential snooping ahead of Monday’s last-16 match with Belgium.