Sports

Paraguay challenges France.. Norway seeks history against Brazil

City - Agencies

Date of publication: July 4, 2026 22:24 KSA

Philadelphia Stadium hosts, on Sunday, a highly anticipated match between Paraguay and France, as part of the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, currently being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and continues until July 19.

The Paraguayan team looks to continue its impressive run in the tournament and reach the quarter-finals, after surprising by eliminating four-time world champions Germany in the Round of 32, beating them 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regular and extra time. Paraguay achieved its first knockout victory in the World Cup since the 2010 South Africa edition, thanks to a goal by Julio Enciso in the first half, along with an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who played a key role in maintaining his team's lead.

On the other hand, the French team enters the match with high morale after strong offensive performances, securing three wins in the group stage before defeating Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32. France relies on a group of its top stars, led by Kylian Mbappé, second in the tournament's scoring list with six goals, alongside Ousmane Dembélé, who has scored four goals so far. The winner of this match will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Canada-Morocco match on July 9 at Boston Stadium. In the second match of the same round, five-time champions Brazil face Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium in a strong clash, with both teams seeking to continue their journey toward the title. Brazil reached the Round of 16 with difficulty, after beating Japan 2-1 in the Round of 32 thanks to a last-minute goal by substitute Gabriel Martinelli in stoppage time, securing their team's qualification to the next round. For its part, Norway looks to continue its impressive run and achieve a historic milestone by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, led by its top scorer Erling Haaland. Norway is playing in the Round of 16 for the third time in its history, but has never advanced beyond this stage, giving it extra motivation to achieve an unprecedented feat in its World Cup appearances. The winner of this match will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Mexico-England match on July 12 at Miami Stadium.

Paraguay national team, France national team, 2026 World Cup