The Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup continues with a matchup steeped in history, intensity, and a touch of… revenge: The mighty French team faces Paraguay at midnight on Saturday in Philadelphia (00:00), vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Les Bleus have stormed into the World Cup with the momentum of a superpower. With four wins out of four and 12 goals scored in the tournament, they are one of only three teams with a perfect record so far. Their attacking arsenal is formidable: Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise, and Barkola form a quartet that strikes with speed, creativity, and individual skill.

Kylian Mbappé scored twice in the comfortable 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32. Olise already has 5 assists and is closing in on Pelé’s all-time record.

Didier Deschamps’ return to the bench following the loss of his mother added an emotional charge to the match against Sweden, but France once again showed that it operates like a well-oiled machine. Deschamps now has 18 World Cup wins as a coach, a record-breaking achievement.

On the other hand, Paraguay is experiencing its greatest soccer miracle since 1950. Their historic victory over Germany in the Round of 32—a 4-3 win on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in extra time—brought tears, ecstasy, and images that will remain forever etched in the memory of the “Albirrojas.”

Before the tournament, the two teams were separated by 31 places in the FIFA rankings—the fourth-biggest upset in a World Cup knockout match since 1994. Gustavo Alfaro’s team has built an identity based not on quality, but on resilience, discipline, and defensive self-sacrifice.

After the “lesson” of the 4-1 loss to the U.S. in their opener, Paraguay was transformed:
• they kept a clean sheet against Turkey (1-0)
• they drew 0-0 with Australia•
and they knocked Germany out of the tournament in an epic match

Advancing past the “Nationalmannschaft” was no “fluke,” as Deschamps emphasized.

Possible starting lineups:

Paraguay (Gustavo Alfaro): Hil – Juan José Cáceres – Gustavo Gómez – José Canale – Junior Alonso – Matías Galarza – Andrés Cubas – Diego Gómez – Miguel Almirón – Gabriel Ávalos – Julio Enciso

France (Didier Deschamps): Menian – Koundé – Upamecano – Saliba – Dinié – Tchouaméni – Rabiot – Dembélé – Olise – Barkola – Mbappé

*photo source: AP