Dugout Discussion
4 July 2026 47 comments
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A sweltering Philadelphia Stadium is the venue for the second Round of 16 fixture: France v Paraguay.

Kick-off is at 22:00 BST.

According to the bookies, there was no nation with a better chance of making it through their last-16 tie than Didier Deschamps’ side.

Paraguay, of course, upset the odds when making it past Germany in the Round of 32.

TEAM NEWS

There’s just one change for Les Bleus from the 3-0 win against Sweden.

Aurelien Tchouameni ($6.5m) is only fit enough for bench duty, so Manu Kone ($6.1m) replaces him in the engine room.

Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro makes three alterations.

Omar Alderete ($4.1m), Gustavo Velazquez ($3.8m) and Diego Gomez ($6.8m) come in for Damian Bobadilla ($5.5m), Gabriel Avalos ($4.9m) and Jose Canale ($3.6m).

LINE-UPS

France XI: Maignan, Digne, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde, Rabiot, Kone, Barcola, Olise, Dembele, Mbappe.

Subs: Samba, Gusto, Tchouameni, Thuram, Kante, Konate, Zaire-Emery, Theo Hernandez, Doue, Lucas Hernandez, Mateta, Risser, Cherki, Akliouche, Lacroix.

Paraguay XI: Gill, Alderete, Gustavo Gomez, Velazquez, Alonso, Caceres, Almiron, Galarza, Cubas, Diego Gomez, Enciso.

Subs: Fernandez, Balbuena, Sosa, Sanabria, Mauricio, Canale, Bobadilla, Romero, Arce, Ojeda, Avalos, Olveira, Caballero, Pitta, Maidana.

47 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. NZREDS
    • 12 Years
    2 hours, 31 mins ago

    French bench is ridiculous- could start two first teams

  2. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    2 hours, 12 mins ago

    Now we ll get to know if paraguay is really a great defensive team or Germany is just so poor.

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 17 mins ago

      So far france struggling more than Germany did

  3. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    2 hours, 9 mins ago

    38c....that is bloody hot, will France be able to cope with the heat?

    1. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 13 mins ago

      Hottest game ever in wc history!

      1. NZREDS
        • 12 Years
        1 hour, 11 mins ago

        Just heard that on the comms, wowza

  4. JBG
    • 8 Years
    2 hours, 5 mins ago

    7mins in and it just feels and looks inevitable

  5. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    1 hour, 37 mins ago

    French losing their cool

    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      1 hour, 1 min ago

      Little scrap was a bit of fun

  6. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 17 mins ago

    0-0.

    Looking rough for France at the moment

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 12 mins ago

      At half time.

    2. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 7 mins ago

      Germany looked better.

  7. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    1 hour, 10 mins ago

    French quadruple not looking good now except kounde maybe

  8. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 8 mins ago

    I get that Paraguay are the underdogs, but holy fck are they annoying to watch.. the dirty tricks, shoves and what not. Not to mention the diving/play acting and in general overreacting to fouls make them a very hard watch and also sadly easy to root against, imo at least. Just don't like teams that play that way.

    1. Cheeky Reijnders
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      53 mins ago

      Filthy South American 'arts'.

    2. jacob1989
      • 4 Years
      53 mins ago

      They have played fair and defending well till now. They don't have skills to outplay France. They looking for set piece goal or penalties

      1. Cheeky Reijnders
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        1 min ago

        Please see above.

    3. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      just now

      Cabo Verde were massive underdogs last night but they never resorted to this kind of crap that Paraguay came up with.

  9. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    1 hour ago

    Paraguay vs cape verde should have been the final!

    1. Revival
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      1 min ago

      Nothing wrong with Spain vs England do!

  10. SM001
    • 10 Years
    46 mins ago

    This ref is having mare

  11. Cheeky Reijnders
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    45 mins ago

    The filth have given a penalty away. At last!!!!

    1. Cheeky Reijnders
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      5 mins ago

      Fkc the filth!!!

  12. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    44 mins ago

    Penalty for France.

  13. jacob1989
    • 4 Years
    41 mins ago

    What an ugly win this is for france. But they ll go thru

    1. tutankamun
      • 16 Years
      1 min ago

      And deservedly so. Paraguay are ugly.

  14. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    41 mins ago

    1-0 France

    Mbappe via penalty kick.

  15. Cheeky Reijnders
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    39 mins ago

    Cartel 'envelopes' to the Uzbek ref, no doubt. Filth.

  16. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    38 mins ago

    This is one of the worst refereeing performances I've ever seen. Utter disgrace.

  17. Revival
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    38 mins ago

    Someone said they blame Arsenal for all this parking the bus. Yeah let's all pretend Greece in 04 didn't happen and Mourinho

  18. How the heck are these thugs getting away with no yellow cards????!!!!!

  19. Hi I'm Jose
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    35 mins ago

    One of the worst refeering performance in recent years. Paraguay do all annoying stuff, even blocks penalty spot and "zero" yellow card so far. What a disgrace.

  20. NZREDS
    • 12 Years
    31 mins ago

    Paraguay playing dirty

  21. Nomar
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    27 mins ago

    Ten minutes before Paraguay deservedly exit these finals.

    Total anti-football team.

    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      20 mins ago

      Yeah and annoying thing is this game could have been Germany France which would have been epic

      1. tutankamun
        • 16 Years
        2 mins ago

        Should’ve been if not for that dodgy disallowed goal.

  22. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    21 mins ago

    That pass count difference is just astounding.

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      10 mins ago

      The lack of Paraguayan yellow cards is worse!

  23. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    14 mins ago

    Two nice saves from the Paraguayan goalie.

  24. Get this horrible lot packed back off to prison where they belong!!!

    1. Nomar
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      2 mins ago

      This

  25. Cheeky Reijnders
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    10 mins ago

    What a stench Paraguay bring to international football! Thank fck they are sent back to their sewers!

  26. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    9 mins ago

    France win, advance and face Morocco in the Quarterfinals.

  27. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    7 mins ago

    All the previous matchdays Ive had 30/40 points after 2 games

  28. Surely that ref has to be investigated after that performance??!! He didn’t even give the penalty either!! Definitely something fishy!!

    1. Freshy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 15 Years
      1 min ago

      He is on the plane home now
      FIFA will investigate and find nothing

  29. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    2 mins ago

    That is genuinely the worst refereeing performance I've ever seen, bar none

  30. karam94
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    just now

    Not sure the referee was ever in control of that game which just let Paraguay continue the dark arts. A miserable watch as a neutral, but also as an owner of quadruple France players.