Paraguay will appear at the World Cup for the first time since 2010, hoping to at least match the quarter-final appearance they made at that tournament.
That was the best ever finish for Los Guaraníes but they have made it out of their group in four of their last five appearances.
There’s a quiet optimism for Paraguay who have been placed in a relatively open looking Group D but can they perform at their best to ensure progress to the knockout stages?
Paraguay route to the World Cup
Paraguay didn’t have the easiest of qualifying campaigns, finishing sixth in the Conmebol qualifying group, sealing the final place at the World Cup and avoiding an inter-confederation playoff.
It was a slow start to the campaign, with Paraguay picking up just one point from their first three games. They only lost one of their next 12 games, though, including wins over Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. It ended up being a very tight group stage with just one point separating second from sixth and the seven draws for Paraguay proved to be the difference between them having a more secure passage to the World Cup.
Paraguay World Cup 2026 fixtures
Paraguay have been drawn into Group D of the 2026 World Cup. They begin their World Cup campaign with a fixture against hosts, United States before taking on the winner of Uefa Path C, Turkey. Their final group stage game will come against Australia.
READ MORE: Get the latest Paraguay World Cup 2026 outright odds here
Paraguay key players for World Cup 2026
Paraguay top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Antonio Sanabria
- Key stat: Antonio Sanabria scored four goals in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup despite only starting eight of Paraguay’s games.
Although not the most prolific goalscorer, Antonio Sanabria remains the fulcrum of this Paraguay attack and he will be called upon to deliver. The 29 year old has scored just seven times in his 45 appearances for his country so far, although four of those came in the qualifying campaign for this very competition. Gustavo Alfaro’s side are not the most creative, so Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese teammate will have to be clinical when chances come his way.
Paraguay primary playmaker: Miguel Almiron
- Key stat: Miguel Almiron managed 10 G/A in Major League Soccer last season after returning to Atalanta United from Newcastle United.
Miguel Almiron has been a mainstay in this Paraguay side since making his debut in 2015. The 31 year old has now made 73 appearances for Albirroja and although his star has faded slightly since his Newcastle United heyday, he still made four assists and scored six goals in Major League Soccer last season upon his return to Atlanta United.
Paraguay card magnets & top tacklers: Junior Alonso
- Key stat: Junior Alonso was booked four times in qualifying for this tournament and averaged more than 1 tackle per 90 minutes in Brazil’s Serie A last season.
Versatile defender Junior Alonso has made 68 appearances for Paraguay and will play a key role at this summer’s World Cup. The Atletico Mineiro defender will lead Paraguay’s efforts to keep things tight at the back after picking up four bookings during qualifying and 10 yellow cards in 45 appearances for his Brazilian club side in 2025.
Paraguay rising star: Diego Leon
Key stat: In just 9 minutes on his Paraguay debut, Diego Leon had one shot and completed all five of his passes.
Diego Gómez and Julio Enciso have already established themselves as first-team regulars, but Diego León only made his debut in October 2025. The 18-year-old left-back could earn more minutes if Paraguay adopt a more attack-minded approach, with his pace and direct running capable of troubling opponents. A strong tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico could also help him push for a starting spot at Manchester United
STAND-OUT STAT: Paraguay reached the 2010 quarter finals despite scoring just three goals – the lowest ever total for a team that reached the quarter final stage.
Paraguay set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Julio Enciso
- Free kicks: Julio Enciso, Miguel Almiron
- Corners: Julio Enciso, Miguel Almiron
Paraguay tactical analysis and formation
Team stats (average per game from last four matches):
- Corners: 3.25
- Shots on target: 3.25
- Shots on target conceded: 4.25
With 37 year old Roberto Fernández, 32 year old Junior Alonso and 34 year old Gustavo Gomez likely to start, it’s fair to say that Paraguay will rely heavily on experience in defence with Sunderland’s Omar Alderete hoping to carry his Premier League form into the World Cup campaign too this summer.
Brighton’s Diego Gomez could be partnered by Damian Bobadilla in midfield with Miguel Almiron on the left. Julio Enciso and Ramon Sosa seem the most likely starters beyond that with Antonio Sanabria set to start as the central striker.
Get the latest Paraguay World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here
Paraguay manager analysis
Paraguay do struggle to create chances under Gustavo Alfaro despite the inclusion of attacking players like Miguel Almiron and Julio Enciso in their squad and they lean heavily on defensive structure, high workrate and physicality to get results rather than the attacking dynamism of those players.
Paraguay’s qualifying record highlights this approach, as they played the lowest-scoring matches in the CONMEBOL section. They scored just 14 goals and conceded only 10 across 18 games.
The 63 year old Alfaro has managed Ecuador and Costa Rica as well as a host of big-name South American sides and brings a wealth of experience to the role – expect him to stick to the pragmatism that got his team to the tournament in the first place here.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gustavo Alfaro | Paraguay | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 43.75 |
Paraguay World Cup FAQs
Have Paraguay ever won the World Cup?
No, Paraguay have not won the World Cup before. They have qualified for seven editions of the tournament but their last appearance was in 2010, where they reached the quarter-final stage.
Where did Paraguay finish in the last World Cup?
Paraguay did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They finished eighth in the CONMEBOL standings, eight points away from the inter-confederation final.
Who will be Paraguay captain at the World Cup?
Palmeiras defender Gustavo Gomez is the current Paraguay captain. The 32 year old centre-back has 86 caps to his name and is a two-time Copa Libertadores winner with Verdao.
Who is Paraguay’s top scorer at World Cups?
Nelson Cuevas scored three of his six international goals at World Cups, finding the net twice against Slovenia in 2002 and once versus Trinidad & Tobago in 2006. The overall top scorer for the Paraguay national team is former Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz, who scored 32 times in 112 appearances.
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