Fresh off their stunning elimination of Germany, Paraguay take aim at another superpower in the Round of 16 against mighty France at Philadelphia Stadium.
Round of 16
Sunday, 5 July | Philadelphia Stadium
Kick-off time
05:00 (GMT+8)
The match
After their colossal upset of four-time champions Germany in the Round of 32, Paraguay will look to eliminate another past winner in France. A Julio Enciso first half goal and a stirring penalty shootout performance from goalkeeper Orlando Gill earned La Albirroja their first knockout round win since South Africa 2010.
But a tall task awaits against a France team that is banging in goals for fun. After romping to three commanding wins in the group stage, Les Bleus coasted to a 3-0 victory over Sweden in their Round of 32 affair. The numbers defy belief. Superstar Kylian Mbappe already has six goals, fellow dangerman Ousmane Dembele checks in with four, while playmaker Michael Olise has amassed five assists.
Paraguay possible starting XI
Gill; Caceres, Alonso, Canale, Gomez; Almiron, Cubas, Bobadilla, Galarza; Enciso, Avalos
France possible starting XI
Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Theo Hernandez; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola; Mbappe
What they said…
“We know what we’re capable of. What we can promise — and I’m speaking here to the Paraguayan people — is that we’re going to give it our all tomorrow against France. If we don’t manage to beat them, it will hurt, but it won’t be a failure.” Junior Alonso, Paraguay defender
“We’re feeling good. The players are competing in their first World Cup. We’ve had to learn quickly. It’s a privilege to play a match like tomorrow’s against one of the best teams in the world. Just making it this far is already a victory for us. We’re already free from pressure. We want to keep making history.” Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay coach
“We have the best strikers in the world. When we have the chance to play alongside players like that, it lifts us up and pushes us to want to give our very best. I’m ready. Tomorrow, we’ll have to be very focused because we know this is a team with a lot of talent — one that will be very tough to beat.” Desire Doue, France forward
“Like all South American teams, Paraguay has a lot of heart. It’s in their DNA. They’ll fight from the first minute to the last, playing aggressively. But it wasn’t just aggressiveness that allowed them to beat Germany. When you reach the Round of 16 at a World Cup, it’s no accident. Without talent, you don’t make it this far. They have nothing to lose; they’re going to give it their all.” Didier Deschamps, France coach
Philadelphia Stadium
Philadelphia Stadium is the home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and will have hosted six matches at World Cup 2026. It opened with a blockbuster friendly match between Manchester United against Barcelona in August 2003, with Ronaldinho setting up Patrick Kluivert to score the arena’s first goal. It would go on to house US national team games, the 2015 Gold Cup Final and Manchester United again in the years since. The venue was also the setting for a total of eight fixtures during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, with six group games, one Round of 16 fixture and eventual winners Chelsea’s quarter-final victory over Palmeiras, which was also played on 4 July.