Paraguay take on France in the Round of 16 at World Cup 2026, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
On paper, this is a real David vs Goliath contest – but that is why the tournament is so special!
Paraguay are ranked 34th in the world by FIFA, while France – the 2018 winners and 2022 finalists – are now top of the tree in that regard, even ahead of reigning champions Argentina.
But World Cup football is typified by shock results and underdogs stories, so ruling out another one unfolding here would be a foolish move indeed!
Check out our full football betting preview below, with tips and the latest World Cup 2026 odds from NetBet Sport.
Paraguay vs France Preview
After scraping through the group stage as one of the best third-placed teams, Paraguay defied the odds to beat Germany in the Round of 32.
Julio Enciso put the South Americans 1-0 up against the four-time winners, before Kai Havertz’s equaliser helped take the game to penalties.
Germany had never lost a World Cup shootout, but Paraguay stood tall and held their nerve to book a spot in the Round of 16, Jose Canale converting the crucial spot kick in sudden death.
The reward for Gustavo Alfaro’s side is a knockout match against the tournament favourites, who really have flexed their footballing muscles at World Cup 2026.
France beat Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0) and Norway (4-1) to finish top of their group, before dismantling Sweden on Tuesday night.
Another brace from Kylian Mbappe and a strike from Bradley Barcola saw Didier Deschamps’ well-oiled machine claim a comfortable 3-0 win. Michael Olise also chipped in once again, with the Bayern Munich winger tallying his fourth and fifth assists vs Sweden.
But perhaps more importantly, Mbappe is now up to six goals at this tournament, and is part of an epic Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
Can anyone stop Les Bleus? It is going to take something very special indeed, though Paraguay’s stubborn defence may give the French superstars a stern examination in Philadelphia on Saturday evening.
Paraguay vs France Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Paraguay are massive underdogs ahead of kick-off, with a victory at long odds of 15.00. A France win is at a short price of 1.18, while the draw after 90 minutes is 6.30.
Paraguay vs France Betting Tips
France to win to nil – Yes @ 1.72
Paraguay have scored only three goals in four matches at this tournament, with much of their progress down to solid rear-guard action. Alfaro’s men also currently rank 47th out of 48 teams for average possession with a lowly 31.2%, so we just cannot see them creating chances against such a strong France side. A third win to nil at World Cup 2026 could therefore be on the cards for Les Bleus.
First goalscorer – Kylian Mbappe @ 2.75
Mbappe is at short odds of 1.47 in the Anytime Goalscorer market, so we are opting for this selection instead. The Real Madrid man opened the scoring in the 3-0 win over Iraq, and achieved the exact same feat vs Sweden.
Any player to score 2 or more goals in the match – Yes @ 2.40
In all four of France’s matches at World Cup 2026, one player has scored two or more goals. Mbappe bagged braces vs Senegal, Iraq and Sweden, while Ousmane Dembele netted a brilliant hat-trick in the victory over Norway. Will lightning strike for the fifth time?
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