Although three editions of FIFA’s flagship event have gone by without Paraguay’s national anthem being played in the stadiums, its notes will be sung again in 2026. Fans in Asuncion and beyond will soon be able to experience the thrill of the FIFA World Cup 26™ with a promising pack of players who are intent on writing a new chapter of their nation’s football history.
La Albirroja last graced the tournament at South Africa 2010, when a late decider from David Villa ended their run at the quarter-final stage in heartbreaking fashion at the hands of eventual champions Spain. This time around, their dreams of competing among the world’s best will be realised on North American soil.
Paraguay coach: Gustavo Alfaro
The Argentine coach faced a tough test when he took the reins in August 2024, inheriting a side that had picked up only five points from an available 18 in a fiercely-contested qualifying campaign. At his unveiling, he told reporters: “I’d like Paraguay to be the team that nobody wants to face, who fight harder than anyone else and whose spirit never falters.”
On Gustavo Alfaro’s debut in the dugout, he guided his charges to a hard-fought goalless draw against Uruguay at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario. He was then in the hotseat for 12 of the South American preliminaries, suffering a single setback in the form of a slender 1-0 defeat to Brazil in Sao Paulo. Although the tactician was delighted to secure qualification, he stressed that his ambitions went further, vowing that his team would not be travelling to North America just to make up the numbers. Their aim would be to fight, to compete and to extend their run in the tournament for as long as possible.
Alfaro boasts solid coaching credentials: since 1992 he has overseen a dozen clubs and has also enjoyed stints in charge of Ecuador and Costa Rica. In little more than a year, he turned Paraguay’s fortunes around and gave supporters cause for celebration with a return to World Cup action.
Paraguay’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Paraguay will discover their opposition and where they will play at the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26, which is set to take place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC from noon local time (18:00 CET) on Friday, 5 December.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
How Paraguay qualified for World Cup 26
The new, expanded format of the FIFA World Cup 26 guarantees that six nations from the CONMEBOL region can qualify automatically for the global extravaganza, with one more berth up for grabs in the intercontinental play-offs. A sixth-place finish was enough for Paraguay to book their ticket. They also felled some giants along the way, beating Brazil 1-0 and Argentina 2-1 in two of their most eye-catching performances.
Paraguay’s World Cup history
Paraguay’s best World Cup
In South Africa, La Albirroja featured in Group F where a 1-1 draw with Italy, a 2-0 victory over Slovakia and a goalless deadlock against New Zealand proved enough to win the group. In the round of 16, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Tshwane/Pretoria was the scene of a nail-biting penalty shootout, in which Paraguay slotted home all of their five spot kicks while Japan were undone by a single slip-up after neither side troubled the scoreboard in 120 minutes of action.
In the quarter-final held at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park Stadium, Paraguay were involved in one of the tournament’s most gripping encounters when they faced Spain, who would go on to lift the trophy. Gerardo Martino’s team stood strong, showing discipline and character, and came agonisingly close to opening the scoring when Oscar Cardozo failed to find the net from 12 yards. Just minutes later, Justo Villar denied Xabi Alonso from the penalty spot before Villa scored the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute.
Although that marked the end of their journey, the South Americans had impressed by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their country’s history and gave a good account of themselves to a worldwide audience and, most importantly, to their loyal fans.
Paraguay’s last World Cup
Paraguay’s most recent outing on the world stage was also their most memorable, as they came within touching distance of the semi-finals at South Africa 2010. The side that pushed Spain all the way featured the likes of Villar, Cardozo, Paulo da Silva and Nelson Haedo alongside veteran Denis Caniza, who was returning for a remarkable fourth World Cup campaign.
Paraguay’s first World Cup
Paraguay were among the select few teams that were invited to take part in the very first World Cup. Although they lost their Group 4 opener 3-0 to the USA, they quickly bounced back in their next match with a 1-0 win over Belgium. However, this was not enough for them to advance to the knockout phase.
Paraguay’s World Cup top scorer
Forward Nelson Cuevas, also known as Pipino, is Paraguay’s top scorer, with three goals at the global showpiece to his name. He first featured at Korea Republic/Japan 2002, where he bagged a brace against Slovenia, and returned four years later in Germany to complete his haul by striking against Trinidad and Tobago. Cuevas hung up his boots in 2013 and has since expressed the hope that someone will soon break his goalscoring record, believing that this would mark a step forward for football in his homeland.
Paraguay players with most World Cup appearances
Two Paraguayans share the crown, both on 12 appearances apiece. La Albirroja’s defensive stalwart Caniza featured four times at France 1998 and equalled this tally at Korea/Japan 2002. He boosted his total with a further three appearances at Germany 2006 before signing off with one final outing four years later in South Africa.
Roque Santa Cruz has matched this achievement. Although he continues to play, he retired from international football in 2016, having drawn level with Caniza’s record. The forward first lined up at Korea/Japan 2002, where he made four appearances. He then added three more to his tally on German soil and featured in a further five matches in the Rainbow Nation in 2010.
Paraguay’s memorable World Cup moments
Paraguay’s historic run at South Africa 2010 has never been topped, although other tournaments have also provided their fair share of highlights. Mexico 1986 also marked a milestone in the country’s history as Paraguay returned to the world stage after a 28-year absence. With Cayetano Re at the helm, the South Americans made their mark by reaching the knockout phase unbeaten, playing out a stalemate against the hosts. The last-16 stage was uncharted territory for Paraguay, but England ensured their adventure went no further.
France 1998 also holds a special place in fans’ hearts. La Albirroja, who were inspired by Paulo Cesar Carpegiani’s coaching and Jose Luis Chilavert’s heroics in goal, once again came through the group stage unscathed despite a challenging pool alongside Spain, Bulgaria and Nigeria. In the round of 16, Paraguay came up against the hosts and eventual champions. Although the South Americans held firm and kept a clean sheet for over 90 minutes, France’s Laurent Blanc ultimately wrote his name into the history books in the 114th minute with the first ever golden goal at a FIFA tournament.
Paraguay’s biggest World Cup wins
Of Paraguay’s seven World Cup wins to date, two stand out as their highest-scoring victories in recent times. The first came in a heroic display at Korea/Japan 2002 against Slovenia. By half-time, the South Americans were a goal down and a man short, following Carlos Paredes’s dismissal. However, they pulled off an unlikely comeback in a stirring second-half showing, snatching a 3-1 win thanks to a Cuevas double and Jorge Campos’s close-range effort, which proved enough to carry them into the next round.
Another two-goal winning margin came against Slovakia, this time at South Africa 2010. Goals from Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros earned Paraguay their first win of the competition in a clash where they showcased both attacking quality and defensive solidity, attributes that would take them further than they had ever gone before.
