Fifa keeps France-Paraguay last-16 clash on schedule

Fifa has confirmed that France’s last-16 World Cup tie with Paraguay will go ahead as planned in Philadelphia, despite worsening weather concerns.

The match is due to kick off at 5pm local time, and Fifa said its first official update on the fixture does not include any change to the schedule.

In a statement, the governing body said it is still watching the weather closely and will issue further information if conditions change. Philadelphia has been under storm and lightning warnings in recent days, and several World Cup 2026 games in the United States have already been delayed or interrupted because of the weather.

Didier Deschamps’ side reached the knockout stage with a 3-0 win over Sweden. Paraguay caused one of the tournament’s biggest shocks in the previous round by beating Germany on penalties.

The winner will move into the quarter-finals to face either Morocco or Canada.