Paraguay's defense wall tests France's attack.

France, a strong contender to win its match in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup against Paraguay, will have to rely on its speed and score early, according to two experts consulted by Agence France-Presse, in order to break through the defensive wall of the South American team that proved its solidity in the previous round.

In the Round of 32, Germany, led by Julian Nagelsmann, collided with this wall, and after conceding a goal at the end of the first half, it could only manage to equalize despite almost complete control of the ball and the field, and it never succeeded in overcoming the Paraguayan defense before being eliminated in penalties.

So how can such a defensive wall be broken? Former Swiss national team goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler, who leads the technical study group at FIFA, and Northern Ireland coach Michael O'Neill, one of its members, explain the options available to the French team.

O'Neill said: "What needs to be broken is a defensive block of ten players in a 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 formation, with an additional central defender." He added: "The hardest thing for France will be to create one-on-one situations that their attackers are looking for, because Paraguay will impose double or even triple marking on them first to disrupt them."

To confuse this organization, O'Neill explains that France must rely on the speed of play and execute repeated attacks inside the penalty area to prevent the Paraguayan defense from repositioning quickly enough after each dangerous opportunity, in addition to intensifying movements in depth to create spaces. He added: "France has all the ingredients for that, and ironically, they no longer have Olivier Giroud in their lineup, but Jean-Philippe Mateta, who excels at playing as a pivot, may be used if the match does not go as they want."

The FIFA technical study group consists of ten members, including former players and coaches from around the world, led by Frenchman Arsène Wenger. They travel between the United States, Mexico, and Canada to analyze all matches of the 2026 World Cup.

Zuberbühler, Switzerland's goalkeeper in the 2006 World Cup, pays special attention to the role of goalkeepers, saying: "The Paraguayan team has a very good goalkeeper in Orlando Silva. I have noticed that when one team dominates another that defends deeply, short crosses that do not exceed ten meters inside the penalty area are very difficult for the goalkeeper, as he does not have enough time to decide whether to come out or stay on his line."

In addition to tactical aspects, the mental factor plays a crucial role in breaking this wall or reinforcing its solidity, according to the team’s website.