Who Will Paraguay Meet In The Round of 16: Date, Venue And Opponent Details
They were not supposed to be here. They knocked out four-time champions Germany anyway. Now Paraguay know exactly who, when and where they play next.
Paraguay's stunning penalty-shootout win over Germany on Monday has reshaped the entire bottom half of the World Cup bracket, and their reward is now confirmed: a Round of 16 meeting with the winner of France against Sweden.
Paraguay's Round of 16 Opponent, Date and Venue Confirmed
Paraguay will face the winner of the France vs Sweden Round of 32 tie, played Saturday in Philadelphia, in the Round of 16 on Saturday, July 4 at 5pm ET. The venue is Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the same stadium where France and Sweden face off two days earlier.
The fixture was set up by Paraguay's dramatic win over Germany at Boston Stadium, the first match of this World Cup to require extra time and penalty kicks. Ranked 41st in the world heading into the tournament, Paraguay eliminated 10th-ranked Germany, one of the biggest upsets of the knockout stage so far. It marks Paraguay's first appearance in the Round of 16 since 2010, when they went all the way to the quarter-finals, having missed each of the three tournaments since.
Paraguay's Potential Path to the World Cup Final
If Paraguay get past France or Sweden, the path keeps escalating. A quarter-final would send them back to Boston Stadium on Thursday, July 9, at 4pm ET, broadcast on FOX and FOX One. Reaching the semi-finals would put them in Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14, at 3pm ET, with eight possible opponents still alive in that side of the bracket: Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Austria, the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Senegal.
Coach Gustavo Alfaro's side, built around goalkeeper Orlando Gill's heroics, captain Gustavo Gomez and forward Julio Enciso, have embraced the underdog tag throughout the tournament. As one analysis put it, when the odds are stacked against them is exactly when Paraguay do the most damage. They have already done it once against Germany. The bigger question now is whether they can keep doing it against whoever comes next.