France vs. Paraguay World Cup Match Draws Over 12 Million Viewers on M6

French viewers tuned in en masse to watch their national soccer team's World Cup 2026 match against Paraguay on Saturday night. The game, which France won 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappé penalty, drew approximately 12.17 million viewers on M6 between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

The match was a close affair, played in oppressive 40-degree Celsius heat in Philadelphia. Despite the challenging conditions, the broadcast captured a remarkable 75.6% market share, highlighting the nation's intense interest.

This latest viewership figure follows strong numbers for previous matches. The round of 16 game against Sweden on June 30, also broadcast late on M6, attracted 10.2 million viewers (71% share). Earlier, the victory against Norway on June 26 garnered an average of 13.684 million viewers (62.1% share).

The previous record for M6 was the team's first match against Senegal, which averaged 13.989 million viewers (61.4% share). The next match, a quarter-final against Morocco on July 9, is expected to draw significant attention, particularly as it features a matchup between Kylian Mbappé and his close friend Achraf Hakimi, both former Paris Saint-Germain teammates.

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The French stayed up late to follow the difficult qualification of the Blues in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Saturday evening.