Julio Enciso, from Valencia near-miss to Paraguay talisman at the World Cup | OneFootball

Julio Enciso has gone from a Valencia near-miss to Paraguay's standout at this World Cup. According to Superdeporte, Valencia tried to sign the Paraguayan, then at Brighton, in the 2025 winter window.

He instead joined Ipswich Town, then moved to Strasbourg in the summer as part of the same ownership group as Chelsea.

Now 22, Enciso operates behind the striker with flair and end product. Dribbling, a clean strike from range and a sharp final pass mark him out, allied to the personality to take responsibility.

He has one goal and two assists, setting the tone for Paraguay. In the historic win over Germany on penalties, he opened the scoring with a clever header, arriving unmarked in the box.

Enciso left that match in tears on a stretcher and will undergo tests to determine whether he can continue or if his World Cup is over. Paraguay, who faced Germany without Omar Alderete due to injury, have their prospects largely tied to the availability of both.

Source: Superdeporte