Paraguay not afraid of anyone, says forward Enciso ahead of France clash

Paraguay forward Julio Enciso admits that France presents a significantly more difficult challenge as the two nations prepare to clash in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The match is scheduled to take place at Stadium Philadelphia.

Enciso, however, remains unfazed by the prospect of facing the highly-rated French squad. He emphasized that Paraguay is not intimidated by any opponent, drawing confidence from their dramatic upset victory over Germany in the previous round. Paraguay secured their spot in the Round of 16 after a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout win, following a 1-1 draw that extended through 120 minutes of play.

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They are a very good team with world-class players. I don't need to mention their names because everyone knows they are stars who have won many championships. But we also have our own strengths. With our style of play, we will try to make it difficult for any opponent.

"They are a very good team with world-class players. I don't need to mention their names because everyone knows they are stars who have won many championships," Enciso said of the French team. "But we also have our own strengths. With our style of play, we will try to make it difficult for any opponent."

The Strasbourg player reiterated that their victory against Germany demonstrated Paraguay's capability to compete with major footballing nations. "We respect them because we know the quality of the German players, but we are not afraid of anyone," he stated. Paraguay is aiming to advance to the quarterfinals, a stage they last reached in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Their previous encounter with France was in June 2017, where France secured a commanding 5-0 victory in an international friendly.

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We respect them because we know the quality of the German players, but we are not afraid of anyone.