France are at the top-tier of teams in both World Cup stock and FIFA ranking. As they face Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium, they hope to keep their push for another world title. They come as a massive favorite to advance.
Due to Argentina’s close win against Cape Verde, France got upgraded to the first spot of the FIFA ranking. Now, they’ve got to defend and solidify that spot in the Round of 16 against Paraguay.
France have 1916.24 points in the live FIFA ranking, which is good to top the list. As they face a much lower-ranked team in Paraguay, they still have to be careful, as the Guaranis already shocked Germany.
France’s movement during 2026 World Cup
France started the 2026 World Cup in second place, with Argentina leading the race. However, Argentina won just 6.31 points for their hard-fought win against Cape Verde, while France got 9.40 points for their big-time win over Sweden.
Ousmane Dembele #7 of France looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match.
Hence, France leapfrogged Argentina after the Round of 32 and now can keep adding to their tally as well as progressing to the next round of the 2026 World Cup. France want to keep the status quo but all scenarios are possible depending on France winning, tying, or losing vs. Paraguay.
France are World Cup or bust
If France can’t win the World Cup, the fact is that it would be a disaster. Les Bleus are poised to lift the trophy. Averaging 3.25 goals per game and barely conceding throughout the tournament, they look as the most polished team in the tournament.
