France has been the most impressive outfit at the 2026 World Cup, with its dismantling of Sweden in the round of 32 setting up a Round of 16 clash with Germany-slayers Paraguay. Didier Deschamps’s final iteration of Les Bleus may well be his masterpiece. There are glimmers of functionality, but this team is all about its majestic superstars in attack. Far from a conformist of modern-day structure, Deschamps has allowed his interchangeable four horsemen to breathe. The freedom they’ve been afforded has so far returned glorious results, with plenty likening them to the stellar World Cup offenses of yesteryear.The extent of their greatness will be determined by the length of their journey this summer, which should extend beyond Paraguay with a full strength team available to Deschamps.France Predicted XI vs. Paraguay (4-2-3-1)Désiré Doué could return to France’s starting lineup. | Sports IllustratedPick Your France World Cup XI!GK: Mike Maignan—France’s No. 1 hasn’t been properly tested yet, and Paraguay, despite stunning Germany, is unlikely to offer too much going forward.RB: Jules Koundé—No longer an attacking outlet used high and wide, Koundé is offering much more of a threat on the inside, underlapping Ousmane Dembélé. The Barcelona defender is also a useful contributor to France’s work out of possession.CB: Dayot Upamecano—Upamecano’s excellent tournament continued in the win over Sweden, neutralizing the channel running of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres. Paraguay is bereft of much attacking threat, so it’ll be a case of merely retaining his focus.CB: William Saliba—The Arsenal man tamed a familiar face last time out, and although Deschamps may consider resting Saliba due to his ongoing back issue, you can’t take any chances in the World Cup knockout stages.LB: Lucas Digne—Digne has seemingly won the starting job over Theo Hernández, and his crosses could be a useful avenue of penetration. DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—Manchester United supporters are longing for Tchouaméni, with few deterred after another stable showing against Sweden. Didier Deschamps is hoping to lead France to World Cup redemption. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedDM: Adrien Rabiot—It seems like the average Joe has finally grasped the concept of Adrien Rabiot. Seldom pretty, but the gangly midfielder performs a necessary, water-carrying-like role for this outstanding team. Deschamps always has to have one. RW: Ousmane Dembélé—France has purred since Deschamps changed tack and instructed Dembélé to hang a little wider. The Ballon d’Or holder came to the fore in a big way against Norway, and he’s combined superbly with the similarly wondrous attackers around him.AM: Michael Olise—Still no goals for the Bayern Munich superstar at his first World Cup, but he’s compensated with five assists. This may be Kylian Mbappé’s France, but Olise is his majestic Robin. LW: Désiré Doué—It’s a toss-up as to who starts as the fourth horseman in Philadelphia. Bradley Barcola excels when there’s space to run into, but Doué is likely to offer more spontaneity against a deep-lying defense.ST: Kylian Mbappé—The Frenchman may well go down as the greatest World Cup player ever. His brace against Sweden means he’s now scored more knockout stage goals than anyone else (10), taking his overall tally up to 18.WIN FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ FINAL TICKETSCompete against the world. | SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDREAD THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow