{"id":16863,"date":"2026-07-04T23:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T17:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=16863"},"modified":"2026-07-04T23:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T17:35:10","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | France vs Paraguay: Round of 16 Build-Up Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_They_Got_Here\"><\/span><b>How They Got Here<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>France won every match in Group I \u2014 3-1 over Senegal, 3-0 over Iraq, 4-1 over Norway \u2014 scoring ten goals and conceding two. In the Round of 32, Les Bleus took Sweden apart 3-0 at the New Jersey Stadium: Mbapp\u00e9 just before half-time, Barcola early in the second half, Mbapp\u00e9 again in the 74th. That brace took his World Cup career total to 18 goals \u2014 two behind Messi&#8217;s record of 20.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#How_They_Got_Here\" title=\"How They Got Here\">How They Got Here<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#Team_Analysis\" title=\"Team Analysis\">Team Analysis<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#France\" title=\"France\">France<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#Paraguay\" title=\"Paraguay\">Paraguay<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#Head-to-Head_Record\" title=\"Head-to-Head Record\">Head-to-Head Record<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-france-vs-paraguay-round-of-16-build-up-feature\/#Prediction_and_Verdict\" title=\"Prediction and Verdict\">Prediction and Verdict<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Paraguay&#8217;s story is the tournament&#8217;s greatest shock. They came third in Group D \u2014 beaten 4-1 by the USA, beat Turkey 1-0, drew 0-0 with Australia \u2014 and advanced as one of the eight best third-place finishers. Then came Germany, Group E winners, at the Boston Stadium. Julio Enciso headed in from Mat\u00edas Galarza&#8217;s cross in the 42nd minute. Kai Havertz equalised after the restart. Extra time, no goals. Germany missed three penalties \u2014 Havertz, Woltemade, Tah \u2014 and Jos\u00e9 Canale converted the winner. Germany&#8217;s first-ever World Cup penalty shootout exit. One of the greatest upsets in the competition&#8217;s history.<\/p>\n<p><i>Watch the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> live in India on ZEE 5. Choose the \u20b9799 quarterly plan or the \u20b91,699 annual plan to stream every match of the tournament.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Team_Analysis\"><\/span><b>Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"France\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/france\/france-squad\"><b>France<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Didier Deschamps has the deepest squad in this tournament. Maignan in goal. William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano as the centre-back pairing, Kound\u00e9 at right-back, Th\u00e9o Hernandez at left-back \u2014 a defensive unit that has conceded twice in four matches. Aur\u00e9lien Tchouam\u00e9ni and Adrien Rabiot hold the midfield centre, with Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 \u2014 Ballon d&#8217;Or winner in October 2025 after PSG&#8217;s Champions League triumph \u2014 providing unpredictability from the right. Barcola from the left provides the direct pace while Olise plays from the centre. Mbapp\u00e9 leads the line.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 \u2014 <\/b>Twenty-seven years old. France&#8217;s captain and all-time leading scorer. Eighteen World Cup goals across three tournaments \u2014 two behind Messi&#8217;s record. He scored twice in the round of 32 against Sweden.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paraguay\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/paraguay\/paraguay-squad\"><b>Paraguay<\/b><\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Gustavo Alfaro&#8217;s system is built on defensive discipline and the capacity to absorb pressure without breaking. Gustavo G\u00f3mez captains the defensive line with the authority of someone who has been doing this for a decade \u2014 88 caps, composed under pressure, the organising voice who held Paraguay&#8217;s shape against Germany through 120 minutes of the highest-pressure football this tournament has produced. Omar Alderete is his partner. Galarza controls the midfield tempo: his early cross to Enciso against Germany came from a player who had read Germany&#8217;s pressing shape and found the gap before it closed. Miguel Almiron adds work rate and experience from the wide areas. Gabriel \u00c1valos, along with Enciso, leads the line when Paraguay attacks. They are a team that defends deeply and looks to transition quickly.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: Julio Enciso \u2014 <\/b>Twenty-two years old and the player who scored the goal that eliminated Germany \u2014 a header from Galarza&#8217;s cross in the 42nd minute, timed before any German centre-back could react. He operates in the attacking positions with an instinct for the arrival moment that makes him genuinely dangerous from set pieces and delivery situations. Against a France defensive line that has conceded twice in four matches, Enciso finding the right position at the right time is Paraguay&#8217;s most realistic route to goal in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Head-to-Head_Record\"><\/span><b>Head-to-Head Record<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>France have never lost to Paraguay in five meetings \u2014 three wins, two draws. The most significant: a 1-0 victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup\u2122 Round of 16 in Lens, where Laurent Blanc&#8217;s golden goal in the 114th minute ended a match locked at 0-0 through ninety minutes. Deschamps was the captain of that side. He is now the manager. France also beat Paraguay 7-3 in the 1958 group stage. Paraguay have never beaten France.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prediction_and_Verdict\"><\/span><b>Prediction and Verdict<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>France are the better team, by a considerable margin on paper. They have more depth, more individual quality, a manager who has navigated World Cup knockout football successfully before, and Mbapp\u00e9 at 27 playing some of the best football of his international career. Deschamps will set France up to be solid defensively first \u2014 they haven&#8217;t been opened up in this tournament \u2014 and trust Mbapp\u00e9 and Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 to find the moments that matter.<\/p>\n<p>Paraguay will defend. They&#8217;ll defend deep, stay compact, and ask France to find solutions against a team that kept Germany at bay. They&#8217;ll carry the risk of the counter-attack through Enciso and Almiron. But even after all this, France is too difficult to contain and should take the win within 90 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>ZEE 5 is the official streaming home for the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 in India. France vs Paraguay kicks off at 2:30 AM IST on 5 July \u2014 check available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\">ZEE 5 FIFA subscription<\/a> plans and stream the match live.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i>Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How They Got Here France won every match in Group I \u2014 3-1 over Senegal, 3-0 over Iraq, 4-1 over Norway \u2014 scoring ten goals and conceding two. In the Round of 32, Les Bleus took Sweden apart 3-0 at the New Jersey Stadium: Mbapp\u00e9 just before half-time, Barcola early in the second half, Mbapp\u00e9 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":16864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3475,3367],"class_list":["post-16863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-france-vs-paraguay-match-preview","tag-round-of-16"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1132x400-63.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - 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