France manager Didier Deschamps knows what to expect from the extreme heat forecast for Saturday’s World Cup match against Paraguay, having attended Club World Cup matches last year.
It is forecast that temperatures could reach around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) an hour or two before kickoff at 5:00 PM ET in Philadelphia, with significant humidity.
Similar heat affected numerous matches last year at the Club World Cup tournament also held in the United States.
“I was with Guy Stephan (France assistant coach) in the final and semi-final of the Club World Cup,” Deschamps said on Friday. «We were in the stadium. We saw that it was quite warm and we could discuss. And it did have an impact.»
«Is this good for the health of the players when there are extreme conditions, whether it is heat or cold, or a hard field? That is not ideal.»
“But we didn’t choose, so we adapt and anticipate.”
Deschamps also reflected on the last time the teams met in a competitive match, when the midfielder played all 120 minutes of a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 of France’s march to the 1998 World Cup title.
He suggested Saturday’s task could be as tough as that match, decided by Laurent Blanc’s 114th-minute winner.
«It was a very good time for France. It was a very tough match. This is part of the history of football and the World Cup,» he said.
«This match tomorrow is different. It’s a different team. It’s a Paraguayan team that really wants to do it and has that quality.»
«For example, (Julio) Enciso had a very good season with Strasbourg in France. He is a player with a lot of influence in his team. He and (Miguel) Almiron are players with great technical quality.»
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With oddsmakers heavily backing the two-time world champions from the start of the tournament, midfielder Desire Doue insisted Les Bleus will not change their approach or overlook an Albirroja side expected to lose to Germany in the previous round.
“We have no pressure,” he said. «We play match after match. We are focused on ourselves. There are many qualities.»
«We were the favorites before the competition started. We will be the favorites for tomorrow. But I don’t believe these (odds) will help us win a match.»
«It’s not like this will help us win. We’ll have to be perfect from the first minute to the last. We’ll have to be there.»
Doue expected the heat to affect performance.
“Yes, we are wasting a lot of energy,” he said. «We sweat more and waste more water. We may lose some clarity on the field. We arrived in the US. It was hot. Today it is hotter. And it will be the same tomorrow.»
“Both teams will experience the same conditions and we are fully ready for this match.”
Published on July 4, 2026
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