PHILADELPHIA (Pennsylvania): Kylian Mbappe’s France have been the outstanding team so far at this World Cup and will be expected to get the better of Paraguay on Saturday and extend their run to the quarter-finals.

Perhaps the only thing that can stop Mbappe and Les Bleus is the threat of extreme heat and possibly storms in Philadelphia.

It is a last-16 tie with a clear favourite, but a match-up with historic significance on the July 4 weekend in the birthplace of American independence.

After winning the trophy in 2018 and losing the 2022 final on penalties, France are hoping to become only the third team in World Cup history to reach three consecutive finals, after West Germany and Brazil.

That remains a long way off but their performances so far suggest they will take some beating.

Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Sweden in the last 32, in which Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola once, made it four wins in four matches with 13 goals scored.

France have enjoyed plenty of success during Didier Deschamps’ 14 years in charge, but for a long time there was a sense that a pragmatic coach was not allowing his team to maximise their attacking potential.

Now at his last tournament before stepping down, that appears to have changed. Mbappe, Barcola, Ousmane De­mbele and the brilliant Michael Olise seem unstoppable.

“There is an excellent rapport between the attacking players. They speak the same footballing language,” said Deschamps after the Sweden game.

France look a very good bet to win their third World Cup, and they are certainly expected to overcome a Paraguay team ranked 41st in the world.

But it is unlikely to be as simple as that in reality, and the Paraguayans head to Philadelphia with confidence sky-high after their victory on penalties against Germany — which led to a national holiday being declared back home.

“They are not here by chance. Germany are a top side, and they have that South American DNA, which means they get stuck in,” Deschamps said of Paraguay. “And they have good players too. You can’t just qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup like that by chance.”

Barcola said on Friday that France were bracing for a physical contest.

“It’s a team that defends a lot. They’re going to dish out a lot of knocks,” he told reporters. “But they are also a footballing team. We saw that against Germany.”

For all the French hype, Paraguay will arrive with a clear plan and an old grievance. Their World Cup campaign ended against France in the last 16 in Lens in 1998, when Laurent Blancs golden goal in the 114th minute sealed a 1-0 extra-time victory on the way to the hosts first world title. Deschamps was captain that day.

Former Paraguay forward Miguel Angel Benitez said the South Americans must play with heart and soul but cannot lose concentration for even 10 seconds against a France attack capable of punishing the smallest lapse.

The heat could add another layer to a match in which France are expected to dominate possession and Paraguay to defend deep, conserve energy and wait for their moments to strike. With temperatures set to be oppressive in Philadelphia, concentration, game management and the ability to use substitutions wisely will be crucial.

For Paraguay, Saturday is a chance to avenge a wound that has not fully healed since 1998. For France, it is another test of whether the team drawing comparisons with the games great attacking sides can keep their feet on the ground long enough to join them.

One Paraguayan player well-known in France is Julio Enciso of Strasbourg, who scored against Germany.

He recognises that few people will expect Paraguay to win as they aim to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for just the second time.

“We also have our own strengths, and with our style of play, we’re going to try to make things difficult for any opponent,” said Enciso.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2026