This Saturday evening at 10:00 PM, France faces Paraguay in the round of 16 of the World Cup. A match that revives an old memory for the French national team, buried in the summer of 1998, when the two teams already met at the same stage of the competition.
On that day, June 28, 1998, France won. But it was a long struggle. They were thwarted by a compact, tough, disciplined Paraguay, led by an immense José Luis Chilavert in his role as goalkeeper-captain. They had to wait until the 114th minute to break free. And they owed their salvation to Laurent Blanc, who scored the first golden goal in World Cup history.
28 years later, this new France-Paraguay match arrives carrying the weight of a past that has remained in people's memories: in 1998, Les Bleus survived one of the tightest matches of their journey towards their first star.
Lens, June 28, 1998: Les Bleus without Zidane
Flashback. That day, the match was played at the Félix-Bollaert stadium in Lens. France was the host nation. They had just completed a perfect first round, with three wins in three matches against South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Denmark. But Aimé Jacquet had to manage without Zinedine Zidane, suspended after his exclusion against Saudi Arabia.
At kick-off, Fabien Barthez is in goal for France. The defense consists of Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc and Bixente Lizarazu. Didier Deschamps He wears the armband. Emmanuel Petit accompanies him in midfield. Up front, Youri Djorkaeff, Bernard Diomède, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet must break down the Paraguayan defense.
Facing them, Paraguay advanced with their key player: José Luis Chilavert. Goalkeeper, captain, technical and mental leader, he embodied a team built to withstand the pressure. In front of him, Carlos Gamarra, Celso Ayala, Francisco Arce, and Pedro Sarabia formed a dense, aggressive defensive line, difficult to break down.
Paraguay puts the bus on
From the opening minutes, France had possession. Paraguay were entrenched in defense. Les Bleus looked to accelerate, combine, and attack down the wings. The Paraguayans closed down space, intercepted passes, and refused to open themselves up. Paraguay maintained a deep defensive block. Their defenders defended the penalty area with total focus. Chilavert was vocal, coming out when necessary, slowing down when he could, and asserting his presence on every aerial ball. France pressed on. Henry attacked the space behind the defense. Trezeguet was a threat in the box. Djorkaeff looked for gaps. But without Zidane, Les Bleus sometimes lacked cohesion in the final third. They advanced, but didn't sufficiently disrupt the opposing defense.
Henry hits the post, Chilavert is unbeatable
The first half, however, gave Les Bleus a chance to take the lead. Thierry Henry created one of the clearest opportunities of the match. Played through on goal, he shot, but the ball struck the post. France had just found an opening, but they didn't score. Paraguay remained in the game. And as the minutes ticked by, the Paraguayan plan increasingly worried the French fans.
Aimé Jacquet is looking for the solution
In the second half, Aimé Jacquet made changes to his team. Robert Pirès replaced Thierry Henry. Alain Boghossian came on for Emmanuel Petit. Later, Stéphane Guivarc'h replaced Bernard Diomède. France continued to press forward. They maintained territorial control, quickly regaining possession and playing in the Paraguayan half. But the defense held firm. Paraguay, for its part, didn't change its approach. It defended, disrupted the flow of the game, and accepted the pressure. The objective was to force France into a penalty shootout, with Chilavert as the last line of defense.
0-0 after 90 minutes: the danger becomes total
The regulation time ends goalless. France and Paraguay go into extra time. In 1998, the golden goal rule was in effect: the first team to score wins immediately. The tension mounts. For France, every attack could save the country. Every turnover could also prove fatal. For Paraguay, every minute gained brings the penalty shootout closer. Yet Les Bleus refuse to wait. They continue to attack. The defenders push forward more often. The midfielders push forward. The forwards search for any exploitable ball in the box. The match becomes less clean, but more breathless.
114th minute: Laurent Blanc frees France
Relief came in the 114th minute. Robert Pirès was involved in the attack down the left flank. The ball entered the penalty area. David Trezeguet headed it on. Laurent Blanc, having moved forward, appeared in the final third. The French defender shot with his right foot. The ball went under José Luis Chilavert. The goal was awarded. Play stopped immediately.
France have qualified for the quarter-finals. Paraguay have collapsed. Chilavert, so long impenetrable, has finally been beaten in one of the final plays of the match. Laurent Blanc becomes the first player to score a golden goal in World Cup history. The rest, as they say, is history…
