Paraguay vs France preview FIFA World Cup 2026

Paraguay have had a great World Cup despite the awful start that they had, losing 4-1 to the USA. After that they clearly made a big effort to fix their defending, and it resulted in a 1-0 win against Turkiye and a 0-0 draw with Australia.

That meant they finished third in their group, but it was good enough to qualify and shock Four-time World Cup winners Germany in the last 32. They showed just how well they can defend and caused a huge shock that saw them win on penalties.

However, now Paraguay must take on a much harder task as they have to face France who are looking very good. The French breezed through the group stage with wins against Senegal, Norway and Iraq.

They then had another great performance against Sweden in the last 32, beating them easily 3-0. Kylian Mbappe has looked great with six goals so far but it’s the whole team in general that has been impressive.

Expect Paraguay to struggle against this French side that are playing with a smile on their faces. 

Ousmane Dembele has had a great World Cup so far and it’s unlikely to stop now. The PSG forward has had ten shots with five of them hitting the target and four becoming goals.

He also had a solid season for his club last year with ten goals in just 11 starts. When on a run he is hard to stop and with defences focusing on Kylian Mbappe he should get more chances.

Julio Enciso has been Paraguay’s most effective player going forward throughout the whole of their World Cup campaign. The former Brighton player has had the most shots for Paraguay with eight. He has only had one hit the target, but he always has the ability to come up with something special.

Although Paraguay have shown that their defence is solid it is going to be tough for them to stop this quality French attack. France has played four games and have score three or more goals in all four games so far. It is likely they will do the same again here.

Finally add Ousmane Dembele to score anytime. The PSG forward has score four times already in this World Cup and with defenders focusing on Kylian Mbappe he could get enough space to score.

Paraguay face France in the World Cup last 16 after stunning Germany on penalties, while France arrive in excellent form after a dominant 3-0 win over Sweden. Paraguay have improved defensively since their opening defeat, but France’s attack, led by Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, has looked dangerous throughout the tournament. Bettors can compare match odds, player markets and Bet Builder options at the top bookmakers before placing a wager.