This Saturday, the French national team will play its 2026 World Cup Round of 16 match against Paraguay at 11:00 PM CET at the Philadelphia stadium. The match involves five Paris Saint-Germain players—all French: Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé. L’Équipe is reporting a probable lineup this Friday—the same one used against Sweden in the Round of 16.
Mbappé
Barcola – Olise – Dembélé
Rabiot – Tchouaméni
Digne – Saliba – Upamecano – Koundé
Maignan.
This is a highly plausible lineup following the strong performance against the Swedes, though there are still some uncertainties. The main questions concern the left-wing spot (Barcola vs. Doué), the potential inclusion of Koné in midfield (likely replacing Tchouaméni), and the left-back position (Lucas Digne vs. Théo Hernandez).
However, there is a distinct sense that this represents head coach Didier Deschamps’ preferred starting XI for the remainder of the tournament. That said, the match schedule could necessitate some rotation—especially given the depth of the squad. We are therefore exercising caution; changes remain possible.
