Fans lined Philadelphia Stadium with towels on their heads, electronic fans on their necks, and plenty of water, hiding in the shaded parts of the concourse to stay out of the blistering sun.
In the midst of a brutal heat wave, temperatures reached 100 degrees on Saturday as France played Paraguay, making it the hottest game at the 2026 World Cup. This wasn’t a tournament record, though, as on June 24, 1994, temperatures reached over 100 degrees when the Republic of Ireland faced Mexico in Orlando, Florida.
Still, even the scorching heat couldn't stop France as it narrowly defeated Paraguay 1-0 and advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals. France will next play Morocco on Thursday, July 9 at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after Morocco rolled past co-hosts Canada, 3-0, in their Round of 16 matchup.
Despite the loss, Paraguay's defensive game plan worked. It took until the 70th minute for a frustrated France to score, when Kylian Mbappé stepped up to the spot and netted his seventh goal of the World Cup and 19th overall, putting him one behind Lionel Messi's tournament-leading 20 career goals.
Matthew Mangam
"Today wasn't easy," said France defender William Saliba after the match. "They're a really compact team that defends well, and they beat a good team in Germany. They didn't give us anything, and they really came at us. They tried to throw us off our game, but we stayed focused, didn't concede, and managed to score."
The match was full of physicality and tenseness, as both sides combined for 24 fouls. Miraculously, Paraguay didn't receive any yellow cards despite its aggressive style of play.
Mbappé, in particular, was targeted the most and refused to shake hands with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gil after the match. Gil then tossed the ball at Mbappé's back, causing a scrum between both teams.
Paraguay keeper Orlando Gill tossed the ball at Kylian Mbappé after the final whistle and a scrum between the teams ensued pic.twitter.com/hIdVGnRxMv
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 4, 2026
"I think the referee could have handed out a few yellow cards; it might have calmed them down a bit," Saliba said. "These are sometimes battles — the match called for it. But that's it; we fought a battle, won it 1-0, and we're through."
Temperatures dipped into the mid-90s as the game went on, but it didn't take long for the heat to affect the game. For what feels like the first time this World Cup, the hydration breaks, which were desperately needed for both teams, weren't booed by fans.
"It was very, very hot, so it's clear we got tired very quickly," Saliba said. "When you don't score right from the start of the match, the match can be very long. We stayed focused, even with the heat."
John Baney
Despite the conditions, the crowd showed up in Philadelphia. It was mostly a French crowd, but the Paraguay fans made their voices heard.
With the game taking place on the 4th of July in the birthplace of the United States, the pre-game festivities were full of patriotism: Idina Menzel performed the national anthem, followed by a Navy flyover from four fighter jets, and some red, white, and blue smoke bombs appearing from the top of the stadium.
Additionally, the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale performed "America the Beautiful," and Philadelphia-based band The Roots performed amid dancers in red, white, and blue, holding giant stars. There were also lines from the U.S. Constitution unfolded onto the field, such as "Pursuit of Happiness“ and “Liberty.”
Saturday was the last of six matches to be played in Philadelphia, but fittingly, it was the perfect way to cap things off. With 68,324 in attendance, this marked Philadelphia's fifth sellout — the opening match was 50 tickets short.
The heat may have dominated the headlines ahead of Saturday, but it ultimately didn't matter, as fans showed out and created a solid atmosphere on an historic day for the United States with another unforgettable World Cup match.
