This is the first sensation of this 2026 World Cup. Quadruple winner of the competition (1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014), Germany in fact took the door in the round of 16. Coming out at the top of its group despite its defeat in the third match against Ecuador, the Mannschaft in fact lost on penalties against Paraguay.
And this premature exit from Germany clears the (theoretical) path for the France team. Julian Nagelsmann’s men were indeed due to face the Blues if they pass the Swedish obstacle this Tuesday evening. Enough to bring back some bad memories to French supporters.
Because if France won its first confrontation against Germany in the World Cup during the small final of the 1958 edition, the Blues remain on three consecutive defeats in a World Cup against their neighbors, in the semi-finals in 1982 and 1986 and in the quarter-finals in 2014.
The road clears for France
In case of victory against Sweden, 37e nation in the FIFA Ranking, it is Paraguay, 34e to this same classification, which will stand on the road to the Blues. A course which ultimately has little to envy of that of Argentina, which must face Cape Verde (64e) then the winner of the confrontation between Australia and Egypt.
The memory of 1998 will undoubtedly encourage caution. During the round of 16 which took place in Bollaert, Aimé Jacquet’s Blues had the greatest difficulty in defeating Luis Chilavert’s Paraguay. They had to wait for the golden goal scored by Laurent Blanc in the last minutes of extra time to defeat the South Americans.
