ParaguayvsFrance

France edged Paraguay 1–0. Goalscorers — France: K. Mbappe 70' (pen).

Paraguay met France in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on Saturday, July 4, 2026. It is a Round of 16 tie, with the winner moving into the quarter-finals and the loser's tournament ending after a single 90 minutes (or extra time and penalties).

France go in ranked 1st in the FIFA World Ranking to Paraguay's 40th — a gap of 39 places that marks France out as clear favourites on paper. It is an inter-confederation meeting — Paraguay of CONMEBOL against France of UEFA — the kind of contrast in styles the World Cup exists to stage.

Paraguay are a South American side with a proud World Cup tradition built on defensive resilience, physical toughness, and an ability to grind out results in tight matches. La Albirroja have historically been one of the most difficult teams to beat in South American football, known for their goalkeeper tradition and organized backline.

France enter the 2026 World Cup as one of the most talent-rich squads in the tournament, seeking to bounce back after their heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat in the 2022 final against Argentina. Under Didier Deschamps, who is expected to step down after the 2026 World Cup with Zinedine Zidane widely tipped to succeed him, Les Bleus possess extraordinary depth across every position.

Paraguay: Paraguay have appeared at eight World Cups, with their best result being a quarterfinal appearance in 2010 in South Africa, where they were eliminated by Spain. France: France have won the World Cup twice, in 1998 as hosts and in 2018 in Russia.

The match is scheduled at Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 09:00 PM (05:00 PM ET).