Paraguay vs. France Odds, Picks & Predictions 1/16, July 4

After all the hoopla and the run up, the round of 16 of the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup comes to a close with a matchup as Paraguay takes on France Saturday afternoon and we have you covered with our Paraguay vs. France prediction. Paraguay upset Germany on penalties 4-3 after the teams drew 1-1 in extra time in their round of 32 match Monday in their previous match. France dropped Sweden 3-0 in their round of 32 match Tuesday in their previous match. Let’s break down this Paraguay vs. France matchup.

These sides have met just twice previously in World Cup play with France prevailing both times. That includes a 1-0 victory in the most recent match in the round of 16 on June 28, 1998. Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!

Paraguay Gunning for a Massive Upset

Paraguay in the World Cup

In 2026, Paraguay makes their ninth appearance in the World Cup but their first since 2010. They are ranked 41st in the FIFA world rankings entering World Cup action. La Albirroja owns a World Cup record of eight wins, 12 draws and 11 defeats as they enter the knockout stages. Their top finish in World Cup action came in their most recent appearance in 2010 as they reached the quarterfinals. Paraguay finished third in Group D with a record of one win, one draw and one loss. Their four points left them tied with Australia for second but the Socceroos owned a better goal differential.

Paraguay Last Match

Against Germany, Paraguay pulled off arguably the biggest upset in the round of 32 as they advanced to the round of 16. La Albirroja lost the possession battle by a 76% to 24% margin in the match. In addition, Paraguay lost the expected goals by a 1.57 to 0.35 margin and the shots on goal by a count of 6-3. La Albirroja traded chances early as Johan Enciso was stopped in the second minute while Germany’s Denis Undav came up empty in the sixth minute. Enciso gave Paraguay the 1-0 lead in the 42nd minute on a header off a pass from Matías Galarza. That was the score at the half.

In the second half, Paraguay had another chance in the 50th minute but Enciso was stopped by German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. La Albirroja gave up the equalizer in the 54th minute of play. The sides didn’t score again, sending the match to extra time. In extra time, Germany scored in the 101st minute but had the goal overturned on a foul. That was the best chance for either side in extra time, sending the match to penalties.

In penalties, things were tied up at three apiece when José Canale scored the winning goal to send Paraguay to the victory. Gill makes his fifth career World Cup appearance in this match for La Albirroja. He has a record of one win, two draws and one loss with two clean sheets on his record in those matches.

France Seek to Continue Run In Search of Title

France in the World Cup

In 2026, France logs their 17th World Cup appearance and their eighth consecutive one. Les Bleus reached the title game in both 2018 and 2022, winning the former and falling in penalties in the latter. France owns a record of 43 wins, 14 draws and 20 losses in World Cup play after their win over Senegal. Les Bleus entered the World Cup ranked third in the FIFA rankings. Les Bleus finished atop Group I with a record of three wins, no draws and no losses.

France Last Match

Against Sweden, France took advantage of their depth to wear down the Blågult and pull away for the victory. That sent them on to the round of 16 for the fourth straight World Cup. Les Bleus owned a 61% to 39% advantage in terms of possession in the match. In addition, France owned a 12-3 advantage in terms of shots on goal and owned the edge in expected goals by a 3.24 to 0.70 margin. Kylian Mbappé nearly opened the scoring in the 20th minute but it was negated by an offside call. He then rattled a shot off the post in the 32nd minute. Finally, Mbappé got France on the board in the 45th minute off an assist from Ousmane Dembélé. That was the score at the half.

In the second half, Bradley Barcola made it a 2-0 match in the 53rd minute off an assist from Michael Olise. Mbappé extended to a 3-0 margin with his second goal of the match in the 74th minute off a feed from Olise. Sweden had a couple of chances late but Mike Maignan was up to the task to earn the victory. Maignan makes his fifth World Cup appearance between the sticks for France in this contest. He owns a pair of clean sheets in the tournament. Make sure you keep track of the France World Cup odds as they progress through the tournament.

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Paraguay vs. France Predictions

Paraguay vs. France Side Prediction

Paraguay stunned Germany to get here but this is too big a river to cross for La Albirroja. France is one of the favorites to win the title for a reason. They’ve outscored the opposition by a 13-2 margin in their first four matches. In addition, all four matches came by multiple goals. We saw Paraguay give up four goals in their loss to the United States in their group play opener. It’s safe to say that France is far more dangerous than the Stars and Stripes, led by Mbappé, Olise and Dembélé. Les Bleus roll to the victory in this contest as they reach the quarterfinals.

Our Prediction: France -1.5 (FanDuel, -158)

Paraguay vs. France Over/Under

This one is pretty simple when you get right down to it. Paraguay gave up four goals against the United States in their match against their toughest foe to date. France has put at least three goals on the board in every match entering this match. Les Bleus takes advantage of their talent and likely winds up over the number on their own. Paraguay may get one as they’ll have to be more aggressive than normal once they fall behind. Take the over in this contest as a result.

Our Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals (BetMGM, -145)

Paraguay vs. France Player Prop

While everyone is focused on Mbappé and Dembélé as they continue their pursuit of the Golden Bppt, the odds are a little juiced on that front. Instead, we’ll roll a different direction and back the top assist man in the tournament. Olise has yet to score a goal in the World Cup but has dished out five assists so far. That’s a pretty solid number, even as France has 13 goals to their credit. While he’s likely due for a goal given his ability to create chances, we’ll roll with him drawing another helper at plus money here.

Our Prediction: Michael Olise Anytime Assist (BetMGM, +145)