France aim to keep World Cup juggernaut rolling

Top favourites France will be eyeing a place in the quarterfinals as they take on Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash at Philadelphia Stadium tonight.

Four years ago, France came agonisingly close to defending their title before losing to Argentina in a thrilling final at Lusail Stadium in Doha.

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Despite that defeat, France have remained one of world football's dominant forces over the past decade, having also lifted the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Packed with star players such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola at front, France have continued their dominance in this World Cup, winning all four of their matches to storm into the Round of 16.

Les Bleus have scored 13 goals in those four games -- the most by any team in the tournament -- while conceding just two.

Mbappe, Dembele and Barcola have combined for 12 of those goals, while Olise has emerged as the creative heartbeat of the side already providing five assists. Coach Didier Deschamps can also call upon the likes of Rayan Cherki, Desire Doue and Jean-Philippe Mateta from the bench, showing the kind of attacking depth they have.

Mbappe, meanwhile, is chasing history on multiple fronts. His brace against Sweden in Round of 32 took his World Cup tally to 18 goals, leaving him just two behind Lionel Messi's all-time men's record of 20. He is also only one goal behind Messi (seven) in the race for this tournament's Golden Boot.

During the 'bKash Presents The Dream Cup with Hamza' show, Bangladesh star footballer Hamza Choudhury said Mbappe is virtually unstoppable at the moment.

"When we talk about speed, we have to talk about Kylian Mbappe. Defenders know what he can do, but still no one can stop him," said Hamza.

"If Mbappe performs, France will be tough to stop. I think France will go all the way," he added.

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Caption Photo: BKash

"My prediction is that France will win the tournament. In my opinion, they are the favourites because they have by far the most talented squad and have been together for a number of years. They also have a manager who has enjoyed great success there,” said Hamza, adding that France also need to be cautious as in knockout football, anything can happen.

"But this is knockout football at the highest level, so anything can happen…They are an incredibly talented group, and now it remains to be seen whether they can deliver on the biggest stage."

History also favours France. Paraguay are winless in their previous five meetings with Les Bleus including a heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time defeat in the Round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup, when Laurent Blanc's golden goal sent the hosts on their way to lifting the trophy under captain Didier Deschamps, who is now their head coach.

For Paraguay, tonight presents an opportunity to avenge a wound that has not fully healed since 1998. For France, it is another test of whether a team being compared to some of the game's greatest attacking sides can maintain its composure and continue its march towards World Cup glory.

On current form, however, it could be just another day at the office for France as they look to overcome yet another obstacle in their pursuit of a third World Cup title.