France return to the world stage tonight as they face Paraguay in the last-16 of the World Cup 2026.
Didier Deschamps’ men look like the best team left in the tournament and world champions-in-waiting following their demolition of Sweden in the round of 32. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in that knockout tie and, alongside Michael Olise, continues to lead the charge towards the final.
But, the 2022 runners-up will need to be wary of a stubborn Paraguayan side who managed to dump Germany out of the competition in the last round. Julio Enciso sent the South American’s ahead before Kai Havertz equalised and forced the game to penalties.
And it was Paraguay who held their nerve to advance from the shootout and should the manage to hold France at bay tonight they will have the confidence to execute another nail-biting result.
Follow all the updates from Paraguay v France with our live blog:
Read MoreWorld Cup 2026 power rankings: France the team to beat while England falter heading into last 16
World Cup heatwave sparks safety fears ahead of France v Paraguay clash in Philadelphia
Paraguay v France live
- Paraguay face France in the World Cup last 16 | Live on BBC One
- Paraguay stunningly defeated Germany on penalties in last round
- Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise lead French charge towards World Cup final
- Mbappe trails Lionel Messi by one goal in the race for the Golden Boot
- France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola, Mbappe
- Paraguay XI: Gill; Caceres, Velazquez, G Gomez, Alderete; Alonso, Cubas, D Gomez, Galarza, Almiron; Enciso
Paraguay 0-0 France, 16 mins
22:19 , Luke BakerBarcola probes inside and then reverses the ball out to Digne on the left. The Aston Villa defender whips a cross in but Gill, in the Paraguay goal, claims it well.
No major scares yet for the South Americans. So far, so good
Paraguay 0-0 France, 13 mins
22:17 , Luke BakerKone lunges in on Galarza on halfway and Paraguay have a free-kick. This will waste some time for the underdogs, and gives them a chance to pump a ball into the box, should they desire.
They do desire but it’s a good defensive header clear. Olise counters at speed but Paraguay get back and turn him backwards just after halfway
Paraguay 0-0 France, 11 mins
22:15 , Luke BakerDembele’s floated ball into the box just a fraction too far for Barcola. Still finding his radar but that wasn’t far away
Paraguay 0-0 France, 10 mins
22:14 , Luke BakerParaguay yet to enter the French half, with Les Blues patiently playing in the final third, probing for a way through the solid Paraguayan wall.
Dembele gets to the byline and Velazquez can only head up in the air but the South Americans clear at the second attempt.
Rabiot tries to claim a penalty for a push by Gustavo Gomez but there’s nothing doing
Paraguay 0-0 France, 7 mins
22:11 , Luke BakerNUTS! Lovely nutmeg on Diego Gomez by Mbappe and France then win a corner as honorary Geordie, Miguel Almiron, clears behind.
Olise crosses but the ball goes through and Paraguay hack clear.
Paraguay 0-0 France, 5 mins
22:10 , Luke BakerEnciso may be a very lonely figure as Paraguay’s nominal striker today - the one man up the field a little bit.
He does well to pressure Olise and win a throw-in near halfway for the South American side though. So reward for what will inevitably be a lot of thankless running
Barcola the cleverest player on the pitch...
22:08 , Richard Jolly at Philadelphia Stadium“The cleverest player on the pitch is Bradley Barcola,” says Senior Football Correspondent Richard Jolly at Philadelphia Stadium.
“Barcola is the only one always standing in the shade.”
On a day like this, you’re not wrong, Rich
Paraguay 0-0 France, 2 mins
22:06 , Luke BakerFrance do the very in vogue kick-off of kicking to touch deep in Paraguay territory to try and press the throw. It’s very-rugby-coded, kicking to the corner. Pressure that defensive lineout!
Les Bleus settle into possession early on, while Paraguay build a red and white wall at the edge of the box. Everyone behind the ball.
There may be a lot of this today - how patient will France need to be?
KICK-OFF! Paraguay 0-0 France
22:03 , Luke BakerAnd we’re underway in brutally hot conditions in Philadelphia.
Is there any way Paraguay can spring a great upset? Surely not. Surely...
A strong anthem battle
21:59 , Luke BakerTwo very jaunty, lively national anthems. I must admit I’m very partial to ‘La Marseillaise’ in particular. A true top-tier anthem
Kick-off imminent in Philadelphia
France v Paraguay team news
21:58 , Luke BakerThe teams are out and we’re only a few minutes from kick-off. Here’s a reminder of the team news.
Aurelien Tchouameni is out injured for France, so Manu Knoe comes into the midfield. The fearsome front four of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappe remain.
For Paraguay, Omar Alderete is back from injury quicker than expected to bolster the defence. And Diego Gomez returns from suspension.
France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola, Mbappe
Paraguay XI: Gill; Caceres, Velazquez, G Gomez, Alderete; Alonso, Cubas, D Gomez, Galarza, Almiron; Enciso
Patriotic show in Philly...
21:55 , Richard Jolly at Philadelphia Stadium“We have just had a rendition of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’. Now there is a ceremony marking 250 years of the USA,” says Senior Football Correspondent Richard Jolly at Philadelphia Stadium.
“Now they are playing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Freebird’. This gets weirder...”
Commander Mbappe ready to go
21:49 , Luke BakerIf you’ve not seen the social media meme, Kylian Mbappe has become Commander Mbappe, with his head replacing various military figures to signify that he is the one who makes the calls for France.
Mbappe himself appears to be aware of this and has been nodding towards it
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham: How Fifa’s bewildering World Cup award has distorted reality
21:44 , Luke BakerIt was a picture that left a thousand words unsaid. Had Casemiro, smiling widely with both hands on the trophy, been covered in Jude Bellingham’s honesty cloak, the post-match interview may have seen the Brazil midfielder explain why he did not deserve the gong.
He was neither the first nor last peculiar selection for the ‘Superior Player of the Match’ at this World Cup but the decision to place him on a pedestal after Monday’s anxious, unconvincing win against Japan was certainly the oddest.
Only Lucas Paqueta’s hamstring twinge may have saved Casemiro from being hooked at the interval for the second time in this tournament following a 45-minute spell in which he allowed Kaishu Sano to put Japan in front, collided with Paqueta and Matheus Cunha – yes, his teammates – in farcical fashion, and puffed around uncomfortably as a sad caricature of his former self.
So, what is going on with the bizarre player of the match choices at this World Cup?
How Fifa’s bewildering World Cup award has distorted football reality
France all warmed up
21:38 , Luke BakerIt doesn’t take much to get warm in this heat but the French team are all stretched out in Philly
The warm-up 🇫🇷👊#PARFRA | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/SSDYOHRYca
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) July 4, 2026
WATCH: How France became the World Cup's greatest entertainers
21:32 , Luke BakerFrance have lit up this World Cup with their play and Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney has broken down how they’ve become the great entertainers
How Michael Olise’s rise is rewriting football’s tactical rulebookI
21:22 , Luke BakerIn the same way that Michael Olise suddenly plays a pass that no one else had even imagined, he has quickly gone from an exciting talent to one of the best in the world — genuine top five — and especially from the relatively late age of 23 on.
One question being asked in coaching circles is whether there has ever been a player who has made that leap so fast?
Maybe Mohamed Salah, but this still feels so much more extreme.
Some in the game would of course immediately point to what Olise himself said in an Instagram message as a young Reading player, about how he wouldn’t be at the club “for long,” and argue that he – and many football insiders – knew he was always destined for the top.
Miguel Delaney dives into Michael Olise’s astounding rise:
How Michael Olise’s rise is rewriting football’s tactical rulebook
Sweltering in Philly
21:16 , Luke BakerIt is not cold in Philadelphia today... How much of a factor will the conditions play?
21:10 , Richard Jolly, in the US Here’s what our Senior Football Correspondent, Richard Jolly, out in the US has to say ahead of this evening’s clash.
“America celebrates its 250th birthday in the city of the Declaration of Independence. It means there is plenty going on in Philadelphia today, but an essential problem for everyone here: 100-degree heat.
“It remains to be seen who copes best with it. This had shaped up as France v Germany on July 4 until Paraguay intervened. They will be looking for a second major scalp, France, to book a quarter-final with Morocco in Boston.”
World Cup 2026 power rankings: France the team to beat while England falter heading into last 16
21:02 , Luke BakerWhat have you made of all the teams in the last 16 of this World Cup?
We’ve ranked every one of them and, unsurprisingly, France are top of the pile. But how does everyone stack up behind Les Bleus?
World Cup 2026 power rankings: France the team to beat heading into last 16
Paraguay team news
20:57 , Luke BakerAnd here’s how Paraguay will line up this evening - Diego Gomez is back from suspension and Omar Alderete has recovered from his knee injury to feature as well.
Having the Sunderland man in defence is a huge boost.
It will likely be a 5-4-1 for Paraguay as they try to stop the French onslaught
Paraguay XI v France: Gill; Caceres, Velazquez, G Gomez, Alderete; Alonso, Cubas, D Gomez, Galarza, Almiron; Enciso
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐨 ✅1️⃣1️⃣
— Selección Paraguaya (@Albirroja) July 4, 2026
¡Ellos saldrán a defender estos colores desde el arranque!
🆚 🇫🇷
🏆 #FIFAWorldCup - Octavos de Final
🕕 18:00 h
🏟️ Philadelphia Stadium
📺 @SomosGEN | @trecepy | @Unicanal | @somospopupy#VamosParaguay pic.twitter.com/xXhc83xgIZ
France team news
20:52 , Luke BakerHere’s the French team for this evening. No real surprises in there - Mbappe, Olise, Barcola and Dembele all start in that ferocious forward line.
However, Aurelien Tchouameni is ruled out with a thigh injury, so Manu Kone comes into the midfield
France XI v Paraguay: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Barcola, Mbappe
We’re all behind you, guys 🇫🇷👊#PARFRA | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/44w4sRh7Q3
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) July 4, 2026
Team news imminent
20:44 , Luke BakerRight, we’re only a couple of minutes away from finding out the team news for this one.
Will either side have any surprises in store?
Inside the French revolution that forged a generational World Cup team
20:36 , Luke BakerOn the Boston training ground that has formed the studio for France’s “art”, to quote one insider, Kylian Mbappe and his orchestra have only really had one instruction. That is to “express themselves”, to do what “comes with instinct”.
If this sounds unusually romantic for a coach as pragmatic as Didier Deschamps, he offered up even more evocative words for the media, in speaking about that illustrious trio of Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele.
“They speak the same football.”
Typically with Deschamps, there is more edge to that than just nice phrasing.
And it’s partly why France have already had more to them than almost any other team at this World Cup, as well as most in modern history.
Read Miguel Delaney’s full analysis of France’s brilliance so far:
Inside the French revolution that forged a generational World Cup team
Paraguay president declares national holiday after World Cup triumph over Germany
20:26 , Luke BakerThere was even more reason for Paraguay fans to celebrate the victory over Germany earlier this week after the country’s president Santiago Pena declared a national holiday following the triumph.
The South Americans confined the Germans to their first-ever defeat in a World Cup penalty shootout and Pena seized the moment.
The president also declared a public holiday last September after Paraguay returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and he announced another one, for Tuesday, 30 June, after his country’s historic moment.
Posting on X, Pena said: “Paraguay never gives up! Public holiday, damn it!”
According to Paraguayan law, the executive branch can declare up to three additional public holidays per year.
Important to hydrate
20:18 , Luke BakerWe’ve mentioned the heat in Philly today, so Paraguay star Gustavo Caballero was doing the right thing by drinking plenty during the pitch walkaround a little earlier!
Heatwave sparks safety fears ahead of France v Paraguay clash
20:10 , Luke BakerThis evening’s clash looks set to become one of the tournament's hottest, raising serious health concerns for players, tens of thousands of fans, and the wider region.
The fixture coincides with a severe heatwave gripping the eastern and central United States, where peak heat indexes are forecast to reach a dangerous 100 F to 115 F (37.78 C to 46.11 C), according to the National Weather Service. High overnight temperatures are expected to offer little respite, with records potentially being broken.
Concerns over extreme heat have intensified throughout the tournament, particularly after French players resorted to on-pitch sprinklers to cool down during their last-32 clash with Sweden in New Jersey, where temperatures hit 90 F (32.22 C).
Scientists have increasingly labelled Fifa's heat safety guidelines as "inadequate" and "impossible to justify”, even for heat-acclimatised athletes, warning that spectators could face slower, less intense games.
Mbappe chasing Messi in Golden Boot standings
20:04 , Luke BakerThe race for the golden boot at the World Cup is hurtling towards an epic contest during the knockout stage as Lionel Messi went back ahead of Kylian Mbappe at the top of the standings with Vinicius Jr and Erling Haaland also very much in the race.
The stars continue to dominate at this tournament, none more so than Messi after backing up a hat-trick against Algeria with a double against Austria ,before another arrived off the bench against Jordan and he inevitably scored again in their slender last-32 win over Cape Verde last night.
Not to be outdone, Mbappe has been in excellent scoring touch and a brace against Sweden took him to six goals, which is now one behind the Argentine icon.
Current Golden Boot standings:
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina), 7 goals
2. Kylian Mbappe (France), 6 goals (2 assists)
= 3. Erling Haaland (Norway), 5 goals
= 3. Harry Kane (England), 5 goals
5. Ousmane Dembele (France), 4 goals (2 assists)
= 6. Vinicius Jr (Brazil), 4 goals (1 assist)
= 6. Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), 4 goals (1 assist)
= 6. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), 4 goals (1 assist)
LAST TIME OUT: Germany face crisis after shock World Cup exit to Paraguay on penalties
19:57 , Luke BakerGermany suffered a brutal World Cup penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay to end the four-time world champions’ tournament in Boston.
After suffering from a controversial VAR call in extra time, to chalk off Jonathan Tah’s goal, which would have seen Julian Nagelsmann’s side go 2-1 in front, the last 32 tie went to penalties, with misses from Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Tah enough to succumb to a 4-3 shoot-out loss.
German football entered a stage of crisis thanks to Jose Canale’s decisive penalty, which secured underdogs Paraguay a memorable victory and sparked wild celebrations, as well as booking tonight’s last-16 tie with France.
Germany face crisis after shock World Cup exit to Paraguay on penalties
LAST TIME OUT: Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise’s devastating double act is driving France to another World Cup final
19:50 , Luke BakerLiberte, Egalite, Mbappe. Or maybe it was Liberte, Egalite, Olise.
In brushing aside Sweden 3-0, France delivered another mission statement of a performance, another wonderful endorsement of their footballing philosophy taking them closer to a return to New York for a third consecutive World Cup final.
They are making history and making memories. The scorer par excellence and the creator nonpareil brought their artistry to the evisceration of Sweden.
One day, perhaps, Graham Potter and his team may be able to cushion their disappointment with the knowledge they witnessed something special from the same pitch.
Read Richard Jolly’s full report on the glorious last-32 display here:
Mbappe and Olise’s double act is driving France to another World Cup final
Early France team news
19:43 , Luke BakerFrance’s only injury concern is to back-up striker Marcus Thuram, and while Didier Deschamps might be tempted to rest some key men, Paraguay’s win over Germany might mean that he opts for a strong starting line-up similar to that used against Sweden.
Possible France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe
Early Paraguay team news
19:38 , Luke BakerParaguay will welcome back Diego Gomez from suspension, though Omar Alderete is yet to recover from a knee injury sustained in the final group game.
Possible Paraguay XI: Gill; Caceres, Gomez, Canale, Alonso; Almiron, Cubas, Gomez, Galarza, Enciso; Avalos
Who will the winner face?
19:35 , Luke BakerNot to look too far ahead, given we haven’t even played this match yet but who will this evening’s winners face in the quarter-finals?
The answer to that is Canada or Morocco, who are playing currently, with that last-eight clash taking place at 9pm BST in Boston on Thursday, 9 July.
Morocco currently lead Canada 1-0 with about 20 minutes left and you can follow along with that match here:
Canada v Morocco LIVE: Latest score as World Cup co-hosts eye quarter-finals
How to watch Paraguay v France
19:32 , Luke BakerThis evening’s clash is due to kick off at 10pm BST at the Philadelphia Stadium. A treat, on Independence Day, for the city where the American Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago.
The French were big allies of the American rebels in the War of Independence of course, so can they deliver another victory a quarter of a millennium on?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on BBC One, with coverage from 9.30pm BST on the channel. A live stream will be available via BBC iPlayer.
France v Paraguay
19:28 , Luke BakerGood evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the the World Cup last-16 clash between Paraguay and France.
We expected this to be France v Germany in a clash of old European rivals but Paraguay have earned their place at this stage instead by stunning Julian Nagelsmann’s (soon to be Jurgen Klopp’s...) side on penalties.
The South American outfit face a huge task against the most impressive side in the tournament so far.
