Paraguay wants another miracle — and Mbappé's France stands in the way
After knocking out Germany on penalties, Paraguay faces Mbappé's France in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. See the kick-off time, details and match analysis.
Knocking out Germany on penalties would already be enough history for any World Cup. Paraguay wants more.
Gustavo Alfaro's Albirroja face France this Saturday, 4 July, at Philadelphia Stadium, with a place in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals on the line. On one side, a team that scraped through the group stage and turned every setback into fuel. On the other, Kylian Mbappé's France — unbeaten in the tournament and with 10 goals scored in the group phase, the outright leaders of Group I.
Paraguay's journey to this point is the stuff of movies. In the group stage, the Albirroja were hammered 4–1 by hosts the United States, but bounced back, beat Turkey 1–0 and drew 0–0 with Australia. They advanced as one of the best third-placed sides and went straight into a Round of 16 clash with Germany — where Orlando Gill became a hero and José Canale converted the decisive penalty in a 1–1 draw that went just far enough to send Germany home.
France arrive at a different level entirely. Didier Deschamps leads a side that cruised through its group and enters this tie as the clear favourite. Golmetria's model gives the French a 66% chance of advancing to the semi-finals — but Paraguay have already proved that probability is just a number.
If the Albirroja can pull off another miracle, the world will stop to watch. And if France stumble, the 2026 World Cup will have one more chapter nobody will ever forget.