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.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (June 26, 2026) unveiled a rendering of a new limited-edition U.S. passport to mark the country’s 250th anniversary of independence — featuring his stern-faced likeness.

“The U.S.A.’s New Passport, which says, ‘Welcome, but be good!’” Mr. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform featuring the passport mock-up.

The image features a glowering Trump leaning on his desk and his signature, with the text of the Declaration of Independence in the background. It appears to be based on a portrait taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok.

The opposite page shows a painting depicting the declaration’s signing in 1776, with the words “United States of America 250.”

The White House posted the same passport rendering, with the words “PATRIOT PASSPORT.”

The State Department — which had previously announced that a commemorative passport with “custom artwork” would be available from July 6 — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In April, a department official said the Trump-themed passports would only be available at in-person appointments in Washington “for as long as there is availability”.

Mr. Trump has aggressively put his personal stamp on government institutions, with banners of the president flying outside several government buildings and the Treasury Department saying his signature will soon appear on the one-dollar bill.

Mr. Trump also added his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — until a court ruled that it should be removed.

He will be the first sitting U.S. President featured in Americans’ travel documents.