{"id":4824,"date":"2026-07-03T08:59:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/match-preview-paraguay-vs-france-world-cup-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T09:00:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T13:00:29","slug":"match-preview-paraguay-vs-france-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/world-cup\/match-preview-paraguay-vs-france-world-cup-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Paraguay vs France: Predictions, Picks, Odds & Stats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

France’s assault on the World Cup 2026 title runs through Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, July 4, when a stubborn Paraguay side stand in the way of the quarter-finals. Kickoff is 5:00 PM ET \/ 4:00 PM CT \/ 2:00 PM PT \/ 2:00 PM MT in Philadelphia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few round-of-16 pairings feel this lopsided on paper. France won Group I comfortably and then put Sweden away 3-0 in the last 32, with Kylian Mbappe playing some of the best football of his career. Paraguay have taken the opposite road to get here \u2014 grinding through their group before edging Germany on penalties, a shootout that owed everything to goalkeeper Orlando Gill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gap in attacking talent is difficult to overstate. Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise are all in form for France<\/a>, while Paraguay have built their run almost entirely around defensive discipline and Gill’s heroics between the posts, with the odd spark from Julio Enciso up top. Expect Paraguay to sit in, hold their shape, and try to drag this into the kind of tense, low-scoring night that has already worked for them once \u2014 a plan that can’t be dismissed outright, even against opposition this strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sportsbooks have France as heavy favourites to advance, and the World Cup 2026 outright odds<\/a> board reflects the same picture \u2014 France sit near the top, with the market convinced this is a case of when, not if, they turn their control into goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paraguay vs France: Picks & Predictions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is a matchup between a team that scores for fun and one that has barely threatened all tournament \u2014 our picks lean hard into that split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Our Pick<\/th>\nOdds & Sportsbook<\/th>\nConfidence<\/th>\nWhy We’re Backing It<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
France to Win<\/strong><\/td>\n-500 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(83.3%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nFrance are ahead of Paraguay in every department that matters, with Mbappe, Dembele and Olise all in top form. Paraguay have needed a goalkeeper and a shootout to survive this far.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kylian Mbappe<\/strong> to score anytime<\/td>\n-163 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(61.9%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nMbappe leads the tournament with six goals on an xG of 2.61 and 13 shots on target. He’s the shortest-priced anytime scorer in this game by some distance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Over 2.5 Goals<\/strong><\/td>\n-175 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(63.6%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nFrance have found the net freely all tournament, and a deep Paraguay block probably won’t keep the lid on if this game opens up in the second half.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Both Teams to Score: No<\/strong><\/td>\n-175 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(63.6%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nParaguay have created almost nothing going forward, and Mike Maignan’s back line has kept two clean sheets already this tournament. A France shutout is well supported here.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Correct Score: France 3-0<\/strong><\/td>\n+600 @ bet365<\/strong><\/a>
(14.3%)<\/td>\n		\u2b50\u2b50<\/td>\nThe tidiest way to tie the win, the Over and the clean sheet into a single line \u2014 and it’s the same scoreline France produced against Sweden last time out.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our lean: anchor the parlay on France to win at -500, add Kylian Mbappe anytime, and treat a 3-0 scoreline as the most natural outcome against a Paraguay side built to defend rather than attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odds approximate at the time of writing and subject to change. Please play responsibly.<\/small><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

World Cup Form & Route to the Round of 16<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

France topped Group I without much fuss and then dismantled Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 \u2014 a result that spoke to the depth in this squad as much as the quality up front. They’ve scored three or more in three of their four matches, and nothing about their form suggests that’s about to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paraguay’s tournament has been a study in resilience rather than results. They came through their group, then needed penalties to see off Germany after a 1-1 draw, with Orlando Gill making more saves than any other goalkeeper left in the draw. The contrast between the France World Cup 2026 odds<\/a> and Paraguay’s price to go all the way tells its own story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potential Match-Winners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n