Deschamps before the round of 16 fight. What Paraguay achieved is no accident

The French coach warns about the danger of the Latin team before the upcoming confrontation

France coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that his players enter the 2026 World Cup with a clear mindset – to win the title and add a third star to the Roosters’ shirt, after… The great victory over Sweden in the round of 32 with a score of 3-0 and the ticket to the round of 16..

Next Sunday morning, France will face Paraguay in the Round of 16.

Deschamps said in a statement to the network French M6 After the meeting, he said that the French national team managed to overcome the first round of the qualifying round, but he emphasized that they should focus on preparing for the upcoming challenges.

He added: “We won with a comfortable margin, although we could have been more efficient in the first half. We should enjoy this victory, but we also know that in 4 days we have a new match.”

“We are here for this mission and the players know it well. We have entered a new phase, but there are still other phases to go through. We have a great team spirit and a great sense of pride and we must maintain this focus and determination. We have quality and talent, but we have to repeat this performance in the next game.”

Warning from Paraguay

Despite his joy at the qualifiers, Deschamps refused to underestimate Paraguay, who will face France in the round of 16 after defeating Germany, stressing that the team from South America deserves full respect.

“We will give the players two days to enjoy the qualification, but after that we will start preparing for the next match. I have watched the Paraguayan national team and what they have achieved is no accident.”

“They have the character of South American teams, a strong fighting team, big solid and top quality players. No team can get to the World Cup final by chance, so we will analyze them well and prepare for the match as best we can.”

Memories of the 1998 World Cup

The clash between France and Paraguay will recall the famous meeting between the two teams in the round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup, when the Roosters qualified thanks to Laurent Blanc’s golden goal in extra time against a side led by legendary goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilaver.

In that game, Deschamps captained the French team, which went on to win its country’s first ever World Cup title.

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