FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 | France is bossing it but Paraguay may be no pushover

As Philadelphia prepares to mark 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, France arrives at the Lincoln Financial Field — called Philadelphia stadium for the tournament — looking every bit the World Cup’s dominant force, but well aware that Paraguay has already shown how quickly an empire can be unsettled.

Les Bleus have spent much of this World Cup making opponents look alarmingly unprepared. One moment Kylian Mbappe is sprinting into the space behind a backline, the next Ousmane Dembele has twisted free in a crowd, and before defenders can recover Michael Olise has already found the pass or the finish. It is football played at a pace and precision that can make resistance feel futile.

That has been the story of Didier Deschamps’ side through four matches in the United States. France has scored 13 goals, conceded only twice and moved through the tournament with the air of a team that has found its rhythm early. Sweden was the latest to be swept aside, a 3-0 win that again showcased the frightening blend of France’s attacking riches.

But Saturday’s last-16 tie against Paraguay carries its own warning. Gustavo Alfaro’s side has already authored the shock of the tournament, dragging Germany into a grim, fractious contest, holding it to a 1-1 draw and then sending it home on penalties.

That result was built on discipline. Junior Alonso and Gustavo Gomez held the centre of defence together, attacking crosses and refusing to let Germany play through the middle, while Andres Cubas and Damian Bobadilla snapped into tackles in front of them. Miguel Almiron’s running gave Paraguay an outlet to escape pressure, while Julio Enciso, its sharpest attacking threat, has carried much of the danger in the final third.

Paraguay will not try to trade punches with France. It will look to smother spaces, break rhythm and turn the evening into a long, airless struggle in which favourites begin to doubt themselves.

Mbappe, one of the early contenders for the Golden Boot with six goals, was careful to acknowledge the danger Paraguay possess. “I am focused on the climate and the locker room. They showed that they are a team to be taken seriously after Germany. We will go there to win,” he said.

The temperature in Philadelphia is expected to hit higher than 38 degrees, with scientists urging FIFA to push back the 5PM start.

Deschamps, back in the dugout after a family bereavement, has also warned against reading Paraguay’s run as a novelty. “I’ve watched Paraguay. What they have achieved is no accident,” he said. “It is a typical South American team, strong in the duels and very tenacious, and they also have players of great quality.”

There is history here too. The last time France faced Paraguay in a World Cup knockout game, in 1998, it needed Laurent Blanc’s golden goal in the 114th minute to escape. Deschamps was the captain that day. Nearly three decades on, he returns to the same fixture with a side far more explosive than the one he had led then.

Paraguay, though, will travel to Philadelphia believing explosions can be muffled. Its task is simple. To make France wait, make France work, and see if impatience can unsettle Les Blues as well.