Paraguay

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·10 June 2026

Paraguay – World Cup Profile

The last decade or so hasn’t been easy for Paraguay. Ever since qualifying for the World Cup four times in a row from 1998-2010 and reaching the Copa America final in 2011, they haven’t had much success. Paraguay missed three World Cups in a row before finally qualifying for this one.

The last World Cup that they did participate in was memorable. Under Tata Martino, Paraguay made a run to the quarterfinals. They only lost 1-0 to eventual champions Spain at that stage. This year’s team will be hoping to repeat that magic. Let’s dive into La Albirroja.

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How They Qualified

World Cup qualifying in CONMEBOL is always a gauntlet. Teams face all nine opponents home and away, playing in some of the toughest atmospheres in the world. Due to the tournament expansion, the top six countries automatically qualified and the seventh went to the inter-confederation playoffs.

In the end, there was a very clear gap between the top six and the bottom four. Paraguay were part of the former. Although they did finish in sixth, it was very tight. Only one point separated second from sixth in the end, and all of the countries in that range besides second-place Ecuador finished on 28 points.

Paraguay’s qualification was mainly down to their home form. They made Asunción an absolute fortress, only losing one of their nine games there. Along the way they beat the likes of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Away from home was a different story. Paraguay only won once on the road, a 1-0 result over Peru in the very last match. Despite the lack of wins, they did manage to draw five away games. Overall, they comfortably qualified for the World Cup and came out of the gauntlet with some big wins.

Key Players

Miguel Almirón

Miguel Almirón has been the crown jewel of this Paraguay generation for some time. He came into his own with Atlanta United in MLS before making a move to Newcastle for $30 million, shattering the league record sale price. Almirón enjoyed a solid seven year career for the Toon as the club worked their way up the table and into the Champions League. He peaked in the 2022/23 season after Jack Grealish famously mocked him during Manchester City’s title parade. The tricky playmaker scored 11 goals, his only double digit tally in England. In January 2025 he returned to Atlanta and has been a bright spot in an otherwise poor team.

Almirón made his debut for the national team in 2015 just after signing for Argentine club Lanús. Just a year later he played in his first major tournament, starting two games in Copa America Centenario as Paraguay finished last in their group. The 2019 Copa America went a little bit better. Almirón provided two assists to help his country advance to the knockouts, although they immediately lost in the quarterfinals. 2021 was another quarterfinal exit and in 2024 Paraguay once again got grouped in an expanded tournament. This is Almirón’s first World Cup and with fellow creative midfielder Julio Enciso dealing with injuries, he’ll be tasked with most of the playmaking.

Omar Alderete

Paraguay quietly have a solid center back duo. 33 year old captain Gustavo Gómez has always been reliable but his partner Omar Alderete is the real star. The 29 year old is in his prime and ready to show out this summer. He had a good three seasons with defensive-minded club Getafe in LaLiga before earning a move to newly promoted Premier League side Sunderland last summer. It’s been a dream season for Alderete and Sunderland as they defied all the odds to finish 7th. Alderete was a big part of that, anchoring their back line and proving to be one of the best transfers of the season.

Alderete will be key for Paraguay in the World Cup because of the attackers they have to face. Their first match is against a USA team that has found scoring goals easy recently. Striker Folarin Balogun is elite at getting behind defenders with perfectly-timed runs and Alderete will have to be alert to make sure he gets to the through balls first. Then they face Türkiye who also have a star-studded attack. Kerem Aktürkoğlu just tallied double digit goals and assists for Fenerbahçe and will get lots of service with Kenan Yıldız and Arda Güler in the lineup. Those two matches will define Paraguay’s tournament which is why Omar Alderete is crucial to their success.

Potential Breakout Player

Alexandro Maidana

Most of Paraguay’s players have already established themselves on the international stage. That leaves 20 year old Alexandro Maidana as really the only young player who could have a breakout tournament. Maidana is the future of the left back position for La Albirroja and is coming through at the perfect time with starter Júnior Alonso nearing the end of his career. He played his first season in Paraguay’s top flight with Club Guaraní in 2025. His performances earned him a move to Talleres in Argentina at the end of February.

Shortly after his transfer, Maidana received his first senior call up for Paraguay. He made his debut on March 27 in a 1-0 win over Greece, playing 11 minutes off the bench. Maidana was an unused substitute in their other game that window but kept his place in the national team for the World Cup squad. In their tune-up friendly against Nicaragua last Friday, Maidana scored his first goal for Paraguay in a dominant 4-0 win. As a backup left back I don’t expect him to get much playing time. However, if Paraguay need a goal late in a game Maidana is a player they could turn to. He has an excellent long shot and is an attacking threat from fullback.

World Cup History

Paraguay’s World Cup history starts at the very beginning. They were part of the inaugural World Cup all the way back in 2030, losing to the USA and beating Belgium. La Albirroja also qualified for the 1950 and 1958 editions but didn’t make it far. Their first appearance in the knockout stages came in 1986. Paraguay went undefeated in their group but lost to England 3-0 in the round of 16.

As mentioned previously, Paraguay qualified for the World Cup four times in a row from 1998-2010. They made it out of the group in all but one of those tournaments, failing in 2006. Their best ever finish came in 2010, also the most recent World Cup they’ve played in. Paraguay opened the group stage with a 1-1 draw against reigning champions Italy before beating Slovakia and drawing New Zealand. Those five points were enough to top the group and set up a round of 16 matchup with Japan. It was a tense game that went to penalties after 120 scoreless minutes, but in the end Paraguay came out on top. They unfortunately did get knocked out in the quarterfinals but put up a very good fight against an incredible Spain team that went on to win the whole thing.

Coach Profile: Gustavo Alfaro

Highly experienced manager Gustavo Alfaro is in charge of Paraguay this summer. He’s been a real journeyman as a manager, taking control of 13 clubs (three of them twice) over 28 years. His highlights as a club manager are winning the Copa Sudamericana with Argentine side Arsenal de Sarandí and winning the league with Boca Juniors. In 2020 Alfaro transitioned to international football. He was appointed Ecuador boss and guided them through the 2022 World Cup. Despite getting grouped, they had some performances to be proud of. Alfaro then had a brief stint in charge of Costa Rica before joining Paraguay in 2024.

Alfaro was appointed as Paraguay boss after their failure in Copa America and was tasked with qualifying them for the World Cup. He did exactly that, relying on strong home form and grinding out tough results on the road. Paraguay qualified pretty handily in the end. In the buildup to the World Cup, Alfaro has led Paraguay to wins over Mexico and Greece as well as a draw with Japan. However, they did lose to group opponents USA back in November.

Fan Culture

Paraguay fans are known for their Garra Guaraní mentality. The Guaraní are the indigenous people of Paraguay and the fans and team alike carry their fighting spirit during matches. They are traditionally a tough defensive team and most Paraguayans actually prefer that style. Fans appreciate the manager Alfaro sticking with their identity instead of trying to implement his own ideas.

Although Paraguay may not have a huge diaspora in the USA, fans will gather together at festivals back home to celebrate their national team. Most people will be at the big festival in their capital city of Asunción, but the Paraguayans that are making the trip to the States will be celebrating their culture at events in California.