The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues today, and so do our 2026 World Cup picks. We have a pair of Round of 16 matches on tap.
At 1:00 p.m. ET, Canada and Morocco meet at NRG Stadium in Houston, while at 5:00 p.m. ET, Paraguay and France meet at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Both matches can be viewed or streamed on FOX, Telemundo and FOX One. We look to build our bankroll with our top 2026 World Cup picks and predictions for Saturday, July 4th’s game Paraguay vs. France.
Catch Top-Flight Soccer Action on DAZN>>
Saturday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Paraguay vs. France
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Paraguay (+1900) vs. France (-600) | Draw (+600) | O/U 2.5 (-164/+134)
Paraguay stunned another European power, Germany, in the Round of 32, with a victory on penalties. Meanwhile, France breezed through the Round of 32 with a 3-0 win over Sweden.
Paraguay’s Julio Enciso had the nation’s fans thinking big with a goal in the 42nd minute against Germany. That’s how things would stay until Germany scored for the game-leveling goal 12 minutes later. The match headed to extra time and then penalties, with Jose Canale capping off the upset with the final goal.
Paraguay had just 24% possession and completed only 160 of 255 passes, for a dismal 63% passing accuracy. It also had just 12 touches in the opposition box, to 43 for Germany, who was also 90% on passing. Germany also took 21 shots, with six shots on goal, to just seven shots and three on target for Paraguay. All that matters is the final score, and Paraguay did enough to level up.
France coasted past fellow European side Sweden, posting a 3-0 win, including a pair of markers from Kylian Mbappé, who now has six in this World Cup, tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Bradley Barcola added a goal in the 53rd minute as well, as France was never really tested.
Les Bleus dominated possession (61%) and had 12 shots on goal, forcing nine saves. It also hit the woodwork twice, while totaling 16 attempts inside the box. France won nine corners to Sweden’s one and posted an 88% passing accuracy rate, completing 484 of 551 passes.
France, ranked No. 1 in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking heading into the World Cup, has dominated to this point. This should be a rout in France’s favor, as Paraguay is likely to be out of its depth. It’s too expensive to back France straight up on the 3-way Moneyline, since it costs six times your potential return.
I like France at plus-money on the correct score combinations, and it’s a good idea to go high on the total while backing France to keep a clean sheet. And, let’s roll with Ousmane Dembélé to net a goal, as he is plus-money. Mbappé is more of a sure thing, but he’ll cost you more than 1.5 times your potential return.
Picks: France -1.5 (-166), To Win To Nil - France (-150), Over 2.5 Goals (-154), France to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 (+110), France to Score in Both Halves (-122) & Ousmane Dembele Anytime Goalscorer (+150)
