PHILADELPHIA, 4th July, 2026 (WAM) — France will face Paraguay tomorrow at Philadelphia Stadium in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in a clash between one of the tournament’s leading title contenders and a Paraguay side aiming to continue its impressive campaign by reaching the quarter-finals.
France enters the match with high morale after maintaining a perfect record, having won all four of its matches so far. The team defeated Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0 and Norway 4-1 in the group stage before overcoming Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32. Les Bleus have scored 13 goals while conceding just two.
Coached by Didier Deschamps, France boasts one of the tournament’s most potent attacks, led by Kylian Mbappe, the team’s top scorer with six goals, and Ousmane Dembele, who has scored four. Michael Olise has also impressed with five assists, underlining France’s attacking strength.
France tops the FIFA World Ranking and has the highest market value among the teams competing in the tournament, estimated at 1.52 billion. Paraguay, ranked 34th in the world, has a squad valued at approximately 153.65 million.
Paraguay, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages. After opening its campaign with a 4-1 defeat to the United States, it bounced back with a 1-0 win over Trkiye before drawing 0-0 with Australia to qualify for the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
France has the upper hand in the teams’ head-to-head record, having won three of their five previous meetings, with the other two ending in draws.
