Paraguay and France faced each other at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, in the United States, in a complex match in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, in which the French team was the winner against the South American team. The only goal scored by the French team was scored by Kylian Mbappé.
First modification: 07/04/2026 - 23:28 Last modification: 07/05/2026 - 01:27
France defeated Paraguay 1-0 this Saturday, July 4, in the round of 16 of the World Cup and secured its qualification for the quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco. In a match played under intense heat and marked by parity for much of the development, the European team found the difference in the second half thanks to a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé.
The decisive play came at 70 minutes, when the introduced Désiré Doué was brought down inside the area by Diego Gómez. After reviewing the action through the video arbitration system (VAR), the referee sanctioned the maximum penalty and Mbappé transformed the shot into a goal, deceiving the Paraguayan goalkeeper.
With that achievement, the French striker reached seven goals in the World Cup and equaled the Argentine Lionel Messi as the tournament's top scorer.
A duel that France resolved with suffering
France had to do their best to overcome a Paraguay that played a physical, hard-fought match with few concessions in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
The European team arrived conditioned by the last-minute loss of Aurélien Tchouaméni due to a muscle injury and made only one change to its lineup, with the entry of Manu Koné. On the other hand, Paraguay opted for a 5-4-1 defensive scheme with the aim of reducing spaces and stopping the French offensive power.
The strategy worked for a good part of the match, as France monopolized possession of the ball, but found it extremely difficult to generate clear scoring chances.
Paraguayan resistance was reflected in a first half with no shots on goal by either team. Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné and Ousmane Dembélé tried to disturb without success, while Julio Enciso represented the Albirroja's main offensive threat. As the minutes passed, the match became an exercise in patience for France, which only managed to break the balance after Désiré Doué caused the penalty that Mbappé later converted.
Paraguay maintained the pressure until the end, sought to create danger through fouls near the rival area and tried to turn the last minutes into a chaotic match.
France could not relax
France had no quiet moments during the dispute: in regulation time Mike Maignan made his first important intervention of the match and, in additional minutes, Orlando Gill prevented the second goal by denying Mbappé the goal twice in a row.
Thus, Les Bleus sealed a hard-fought classification after overcoming a tough battle against Paraguay. The South American team led by Gustavo Alfaro sought to strike a new blow in the tournament although they did not succeed.
La Albirroja presented three changes to its starting lineup and is betting on a defensive line of five players to face the challenge. Gustavo Velázquez and Omar Alderete join the last line, while Diego Gómez returns to the starting eleven after serving a suspension date due to the accumulation of yellow cards. The Paraguayan formation was made up of Orlando Gill; Gustavo Velázquez, Omar Alderete, Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Júnior Alonso; Miguel Almirón, Diego Gómez, Damián Bobadilla, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza; and Julio Enciso.
On the France side, coach Didier Deschamps introduced a single variation compared to his previous presentation. Manu Koné replaces Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield, while the rest of the team remained unchanged, with a powerful attacking front made up of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappé. The French eleven is completed by Mike Maignan; Lucas Digne, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Jules Koundé; Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappé.
Alfaro's decision to reinforce the defense with five players was not unprecedented during this World Cup. The Paraguayan coach had already resorted to this scheme against Australia in the group stage and also during the final stretch of the match against Germany, an approach that he uses again against a rival with one of the most outstanding offenses of the competition.
Alfaro anticipated a highly demanding challenge
In the run-up to the match, the Paraguayan coach defined France as an "electric storm" when describing the offensive potential of the European team. "France is an electrical storm. And those rays that come from anywhere are directed at the center of the arc. You know that an electrical storm is coming, so you have to see how to avoid the lightning," said Alfaro.
The coach also used a comparison linked to his childhood in the Argentine city of Rafaela to explain the type of match he imagines. "I am a country man. When an electrical storm came in Rafaela, you had to take shelter anywhere, because you didn't have lightning rods," he said. Then he added: "In the city it is full of lightning rods, but in the countryside you have to take shelter and not under a tree, because lightning can fall under the tree."
Alfaro also maintained that the match against France represents the most complex challenge that Paraguay has faced in the championship. As he explained, the team has shown a rapid ability to adapt during the tournament, although he considers that this, by itself, does not guarantee being able to compete on equal terms with Les Bleus. "We have had that learning, yes. Is it enough for tomorrow's game? I think not, I think not, it's not enough," he said.
First half without goals between Paraguay and France
The first half came to an end with a 0-0 tie between Paraguay and France, in a highly contested match. The Paraguayan team managed to contain the advances of the European team during the first 45 minutes, while France sought to impose its offensive hierarchy without being able to break the zero. The referee added three minutes of extra time before the start of the break.
One of the highlights of the first stage occurred when French striker Bradley Barcola was shown a yellow card after a strong infringement on Paraguayan defender Juan José Cáceres.
First goal for France
At 24 minutes into the second half, France managed to break the tie and take a 1-0 lead thanks to a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé. The infraction was sanctioned after a foul by Paraguayan Diego Gómez on Désiré Doué inside the area.
The French striker made no mistake and beat goalkeeper Orlando Gill to put Les Bleus ahead. After the goal and after the second hydration break of the match, the European team manages the minimum advantage in search of qualification to the quarterfinals.
With EFE and Reuters
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