Paraguay v France: 2026 World Cup Prediction

Is there anyone left who thinks they can give France a run for their money? In truth, the only teams worth considering are the likes of Spain and Argentina, because no one is making such an impression at the moment as Les Bleus. With Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé in fine form, the French are racking up the goals so far. But will they manage the same against Paraguay, the country responsible for Germany’s early exit? We’ll tell you more about this match in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup and give you our Paraguay v France prediction

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Paraguay v France preview

Current Form & Team News

Paraguay

Did you expect to hear anything about Paraguay at the start of July? Following the disastrous 1–4 defeat against the United States, there was little hope for the South Americans. Even though they had been given such a grand send-off, this defeat hit them hard. And yet Gustavo Alfaro’s side have bounced back superbly. They beat Turkey, drew 0–0 with Australia and defeated Die Mannschaft on penalties in the round of 32. However, in France they face a side of a different calibre. Or will they pull off another upset?

France

Scoring 13 goals and conceding just 2 in their first four matches at a World Cup is nothing short of impressive. This is the case for France, a side playing more attacking football than ever and dreaming of lifting the World Cup trophy. It is, of course, no surprise, as with star players from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG, manager Didier Deschamps has a team of unprecedented calibre at his disposal. Can Kylian Mbappé dethrone his former team-mate Lionel Messi as the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer? And will Michael Olise break the record for the most assists at a World Cup?

Head-to-Head

Despite the fact that the two nations have little in common, Paraguay and France have faced each other on several occasions in the past. In their five previous encounters, France won twice, whilst the remaining three matches ended in draws. The last edition, played in 2017, ended in a 5-0 victory for Les Bleus.

Predicted line-ups

Paraguay (4-3-3):

Fernández, Alonso, Alderete, Gomez, Caceres, Bobadilla, Kaku, Cubas, Almiron, Sanabria, Gomez

France (4-2-3-1):

Maignan, Digne, Saliba, Upamecano, Koundé, Rabiot, Kone, Doué, Olise, Dembélé, Mbappé

Paraguay v France betting tips

Betting tip 1: Kylian Mbappé to score 2+ goals

Kylian Mbappé is in top form. Against Senegal, Iraq and Sweden, the team’s star scored twice in each match – something he has been doing time and again for Real Madrid this season. We reckon he’ll be celebrating twice again against Paraguay. 2+ goals from Kylian Mbappé will earn you odds of 3.60.

Betting tip 2: France to win and keep a clean sheet

It looks as though France are also set for an easy tie in the round of 16. Of course, the South Americans beat Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany, but France are still a cut above. We therefore think the French will win this match and keep a clean sheet, just as they did against Iraq and Sweden. A bet on ‘France to win and keep a clean sheet’ will earn you odds of 1.63.

France v Paraguay Prediction

Final score: France 3–0 Paraguay
We expect a straightforward match in which France will score at least three goals and keep things tight at the back. Just as they previously beat Iraq and Sweden 3–0, we expect a similar game, with France progressing to the next round.