2026 World Cup Preview: Paraguay vs France in Round of 16 Clash

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The match between Paraguay and France will take place in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia, United States, on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at 04:00 AM, Indonesian time. For Paraguay, the match, which will be broadcast live by TVRI, is an opportunity to continue their surprise after eliminating the four-time world champion, Germany, through a penalty shootout in the round of 32.

The encounter with France also evokes long memories. In the 1998 World Cup, Paraguay almost held France to a penalty shootout. However, Laurent Blanc scored the first-ever golden goal in World Cup history during extra time. The 0-1 defeat allowed France to advance and eventually capture their first World Cup title.

Now, Paraguay faces a tougher challenge. Unlike in 1998, when France was without Zinedine Zidane due to suspension and did not have as strong a front line as they do now, the team led by Didier Deschamps comes with a lineup of world-class attackers such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola.

Nevertheless, Paraguay's coach, Gustavo Alfaro, believes that his team is not just here to make up the numbers. "We came here to compete, not to search for results. This group of players have overcome adversities and shown that football does not depend on the amount of money that a country has. Our people get back up from adversities, and we want to represent this spirit on the field," said the coach from Argentina, as quoted from ESPN.

This optimism stems from Paraguay's journey itself. They started the tournament with a heavy 1-4 defeat against the host, the United States. After that, the team known as "La Albirroja" bounced back by defeating Turkey 1-0 and playing a goalless draw against Australia to advance to the knockout phase as one of the best third-placed teams.

Paraguay then created one of the biggest surprises of the tournament by eliminating Germany through a penalty shootout. According to Alfaro, the victory over Germany is an important factor, but not the ultimate goal. He said that what they did against Germany was extraordinary and could serve as an example for us. However, they came to write their own history.

Paraguay is far from being considered a favorite. They are ranked 41st in the FIFA world rankings, 38 positions behind France, and only finished sixth in the South American qualifying zone. However, Alfaro believes that their journey has already exceeded expectations. He said that they managed to defeat Germany when almost no one gave them a chance to win.

Paraguay's main strength still lies in its defensive organization. Fabian Balbuena, Omar Alderete, and Junior Alonso form the backline and lay the foundation for the game. Meanwhile, Andres Cubas and Matias Galarza work hard to protect the central area. Up front, Julio Enciso is the creative spearhead, although he had muscle problems when facing Germany. Miguel Almiron is available again after serving a suspension.

Alfaro is aware that France's individual quality is far superior. He likened France to an approaching thunderstorm, saying his team must recognize the challenge ahead and be fully prepared to withstand every "lightning strike" the French side could unleash.

France Cautious of the Weather

On the opposing side, French coach Didier Deschamps does not want to underestimate Paraguay. Nicknamed Les Bleus, the team won all four of their matches, scoring at least three goals in each game and ending up with 13 goals. Mbappe himself has already scored six goals.

However, what most concerns Deschamps is the weather conditions in Philadelphia. The match will take place alongside the 250th anniversary of American Independence Day. The temperature is expected to reach nearly 38 degrees Celsius. Local weather authorities have even issued an extreme heat warning. "We knew it would be very hot. I think tomorrow it will be a little cooler than today, and I hope there are no storms this time," said Deschamps.

France has experienced such conditions when facing Iraq in the group stage. At that time, the match was temporarily suspended for two hours due to a storm. "It is something we need to take into account, but I think every team has prepared for it. It can have an impact on all the teams," he said, as quoted from France24.

According to Deschamps, fatigue is also a factor to consider because the match against Paraguay is France's fifth game in this tournament. "We are aware that the weather will be really tough tomorrow but it is a disadvantage for both teams so we just need to handle it," he said.

Head-to-Head

This will be the sixth match between France and Paraguay in history. As reported by Sportskeeda, France is unbeaten with three wins and two draws. Their last meeting in June 2017 ended with a 5-0 victory for Les Bleus.

These two teams have met twice before in the World Cup. France won 7-3 in the 1958 World Cup. They again secured a victory in the 1998 World Cup with a 1-0 win in the round of 16 thanks to the first-ever golden goal in World Cup history by defender Laurent Blanc.

Real Madrid's star striker Mbappe is the top scorer of the current tournament with six goals, alongside Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbappe also has two assists in this World Cup.

Predicted Lineups

Paraguay: Orlando Gill; Juan Jose Caceres, Gustavo Gomez, Jose Canale, Junior Alonso; Andres Cubas, Diego Gomez, Mathias Galarza; Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso, Gabriel Avalos.

France: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Ibrahima Konate, William Saliba, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe.

Prediction

On paper, France remains the favorite to advance to the quarter-finals. However, Paraguay has proven that they are capable of defeating stronger teams. If La Albirroja can display the same defensive discipline they showed when they eliminated Germany, it's possible they could produce the biggest surprise of the 2026 World Cup once again.

Read: 2026 World Cup: Argentina Advances, Egypt Awaits in Round of 16

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