France will go toe-to-toe against Paraguay in their Round of 16 tie of FIFA World Cup 2026 on Saturday. The winner of this tie will be taking on the winner of match between Morocco and Canada.
France have been one of the standout teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cruising through the tournament with a perfect record so far. Les Bleus opened their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal before easing past Iraq 3-0. They then wrapped up the group stage in emphatic fashion with a commanding 4-1 win over Norway.
The two-time world champions carried that momentum into the Round of 32, where they took on Sweden. Didier Deschamps’ side produced another dominant display, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring twice and Bradley Barcola adding the third in a comfortable 3-0 victory to seal France’s place in the Round of 16.
Paraguay endured a difficult start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to co-hosts USA in their opening match. La Albirroja responded impressively by edging past Türkiye 1-0 before playing out a goalless draw against Australia in their final group fixture. Their tally of one win, one draw and one defeat was enough to see them qualify for the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams across the 12 groups.
The Round of 32 produced one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World Cup history. Gustavo Alfaro’s men stunned four-time champions Germany after holding the European giants to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
Match Time and Venue
The match between France and Paraguay will be played at the Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA. The game is set to kick-off at 2.30 AM IST on Sunday
Head to Head
- Matches Played: 5
- France wins: 3
- Paraguay wins: 0
- Draws: 2
Form Guide (last five matches, most recent first):
- France: W-W-W-W-W
- Paraguay: W-D-W-L-W
France
- Possible Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise ,Ousmane Dembele, Désiré Doué Kylian Mbappé
- Substitutes:: Robin Risser, Brice Samba, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, N’Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram
- Coach: Didier Deschamps
Paraguay
- Possible Starting 11 (4-4-2): Orlando Gill; Juan Caceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Júnior Alonso; Miguel Almirón, Damián Bobadilla, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; Gabriel Ávalos, Julio Enciso
- Substitutes: Roberto Fernandez, Gaston Olveira, Gustavo Velazquez, Jose Canale, Alexandro Maidana, Fabian Balbuena, Diego Gomez, Mauricio Magalhaes, Braian Ojeda, Alejandro Gamarra, Gustavo Caballero, Ramon Sosa, Alex Arce, Isidro Pitta, Antonio Sanabria
- Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Players to Watch
- Kylian Mbappe (France): Mbappe is also breathing down the neck of Lionel Messi for the record of scoring the most number of goals in the history of FIFA World Cup.
- Julio Enciso (Paraguay): The 22-year-old has scored once and provided two assists in this tournament.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
The France vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The France vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026 game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.
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