Twenty-eight years after Paraguay pushed France to the brink in 1998, the South Americans return to a familiar task: attempting to frustrate a French side brimming with attacking options. In 1998 Paraguay’s defence held firm until Laurent Blanc’s golden goal ended the match and France went on to claim the World Cup.
The memory of that tight, defensive display — when Paraguay repelled wave after wave of French pressure and nearly forced a penalty shootout that might have favoured goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert — sets the stage for this meeting on a sweltering Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.
The current France team is described in the source text as even more fearsome than the side of 1998, led by coach Didier Deschamps and supported by a deep pool of attacking talent. According to ESPN, France are perhaps the world’s foremost producer of talent and, along with Argentina, one of the outstanding national teams of recent times.
Paraguay arrive unchanged in spirit under coach Gustavo Alfaro, who framed the tournament plan as an effort to compete rather than chase results and to represent a resilient national character. Alfaro’s side acknowledge they may be outgunned but refuse to be outfought, and they carried momentum into this match after Monday’s dramatic elimination of Germany.
Group play has been mixed for Paraguay. An opening 4-1 loss to the United States exposed defensive lapses — right back Juan Cáceres was outplayed by Christian Pulisic, Omar Alderete struggled, and captain Gustavo Gómez and left back Júnior Alonso were noted for looking older than their years. Alfaro’s halftime adjustments improved their performance in that game. Paraguay steadied thereafter, taking an early lead against Türkiye, surviving a first-half red card to Miguel Almirón and holding on, and earning a goalless draw with Australia that preserved their path to the knockout-stage upset of Germany.
