Nation dossier · Group D · Out in the Round of 16

Paraguay

Republic of Paraguay

Group DCONMEBOLEliminated · Round of 16

Latest Paraguay 0–1 France · Round of 16

Knocked out by France · Match 89

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Title probability

0.0%

as of 2026-07-20

Overview

Paraguay return to the World Cup stage after missing out on Qatar 2022, ending a painful absence that wounded a proud footballing nation. Under a revitalized setup, the Albirroja rediscovered their grit and qualified from the brutal CONMEBOL marathon.

This is a side built on the traditional Paraguayan virtues — organization, physicality and resolute defending — but laced with a new generation of attacking talent emerging in Europe. Expectations are measured but hopeful: simply being back is a triumph, and a knockout run would electrify Asunción.

Capital

Asunción

Population

6,930,000

Confederation

CONMEBOL

FIFA code

PAR

World

Region

From Wikipedia

Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country located in the central region of South America. It borders Bolivia to the northwest and north, Brazil to the northeast and east, and Argentina to the southeast, south, and west. Paraguay has access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Paraná–Paraguay Waterway. The country is governed…

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3

1
Roberto Fernández
Cerro Porteño · First-choice goalkeeper
12caps
12
Orlando Gill
San Lorenzo
22
Gastón Olveira
Olimpia

Defenders8

2
Gustavo Velázquez
Cerro Porteño
3
Omar Alderete
Sunderland · Aggressive ball-playing center-back
45caps
4
Juan Cáceres
Lanús · Versatile defensive cover
18caps
5
Fabián Balbuena
Dynamo Moscow · Veteran centre-back
50caps
6
Júnior Alonso
Atlético Mineiro · Composed left-sided defender
42caps
13
José Canale
Lanús
15
Gustavo Gómez
Palmeiras · Captain and Palmeiras centre-back
88caps
26
Alexandro Maidana
Talleres · Youngest squad member

Midfielders8

8
Diego Gómez
Inter Miami · Creative driving playmaker
25caps
10
Miguel Almirón
Atlanta United · Attacking midfielder, longtime starter
78caps
11
Mauricio
Palmeiras
14
Andrés Cubas
Vancouver Whitecaps · Tenacious holding midfielder
28caps
16
Damian Bobadilla
São Paulo · Promising young midfielder
12caps
17
Kaku
Al Ain
20
Braian Ojeda
Real Salt Lake
23
Matías Galarza
Talleres

Forwards7

7
Ramón Sosa
Palmeiras · Winger, ex-Nottingham Forest
28caps
9
Antonio Sanabria
Cremonese · Leading striker
49caps
18
Alex Arce
LDU Quito
19
Julio Enciso
Brighton & Hove Albion · Highly-rated young attacker
22caps
21
Gabriel Ávalos
Independiente · Aerial target man
10caps
24
Gustavo Caballero
Nacional
25
Isidro Pitta
Cuiabá

Model

as of 2026-07-20

Champion0.0%

Reach final0.0%

Semi-final0.0%

Quarter-final0.0%

Round of 16100.0%

Advance from group100.0%

Exp. points

4.00

Proj. finish

12.5

Seed Elo

1690

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

Results

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Gillette Stadium, Boston

Levi's Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area

Levi's Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area

SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

History

1986
Round of 16
1998
Round of 16
2002
Round of 16
2010
Quarter-finals

Culture

Football culture

Paraguayan football prizes toughness, sacrifice and never-say-die spirit, embodied historically by legendary goalkeeper-captain José Luis Chilavert. Domestic rivals Olimpia and Cerro Porteño dominate a fervent club scene, and the national team commands unshakeable devotion.

Did you know

Guaraní is an official language spoken by most Paraguayans alongside Spanish.
Goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert famously scored goals from free-kicks and penalties.
Paraguay is one of only two landlocked countries in South America.
The Itaipú Dam was long the world's largest hydroelectric power producer.
Asunción is among the oldest cities in South America, founded in 1537.