France continue their knockout campaign against Paraguay, looking to maintain their perfect tournament record and progress one step closer to winning another World Cup. Les Bleus’ dominant group stage campaign has established them as genuine contenders, while Paraguay seek to upset the odds as they did with Germany. Follow our liveblog for minute-to-minute commentary.
French singer Charles Aznavour’s “Emmenez-moi” rings in Philly.
A rematch of the 1998 World Cup
France and Paraguay meet again 28 years after their unforgettable round of 16 clash at the 1998 World Cup, when Laurent Blanc’s golden goal sent the hosts through on their way to lifting the trophy!
30 minutes until kick-off
Are you ready?
‘Anything could happen today’
French supporters remain cautious ahead of the match.
‘We will go to penalies’
“We won’t score a goal at all, but we will go to penalties”, says this other Albirroja fan.
‘We can stand the heat’, says Albirroja fan
“Maybe Mbappé, Dembélé… they all fall. Like ‘Oh my God, too much heat’. We can stand the heat”, hopes this Paraguayan supporter.
Ninja turtles not afraid of the apocalyptic heat in Philly
Fans arrive at the Eagles’ stadium
Less than an hour until kick-off in Philadelphia!
Paraguay’s starting XI
Maignan’s birthday celebrated in the air
Inside France’s locker room
Les Bleus laser focused
Albirroja getting ready
It’s hot today in Philly… and stormy weather is underway
Dylan Martinez, Reuters
France team’s bus arriving at the Eagles’ stadium
France topped their group with an impressive unbeaten campaign, securing three consecutive victories before dismantling Sweden 3-0 in their opening knockout match. Didier Deschamps‘ side have showcased attacking prowess and tactical discipline throughout the tournament, establishing themselves as one of the competition’s elite sides. Their passage to the quarter-finals saw them eliminate the Scandinavians with clinical efficiency, Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to extend his remarkable World Cup tally.
Paraguay, meanwhile, earned their Round of 16 berth after finishing as one of the best-performing third-place finishers and eliminating an unrecognisable Germany. The winner will face Morocco in a quarter-final encounter next Thursday.
