Paraguay — the Guaraní, first World Cup since 2010, and the nation that always finds a way to make the knockout rounds

Paraguay last played at a World Cup in 2010 — the South Africa tournament where they reached the quarter-finals, beating Japan and defeating Slovakia before losing narrowly to Spain. Sixteen years of absence followed, years in which CONMEBOL's brutal qualifying campaign produced results that fell just short tournament after tournament. In 2026 Los Guaraní are back, qualified through a CONMEBOL campaign that required every point, and placed in Group D with USA, Australia, and Turkey. The hosts are in their group. The occasion does not intimidate Paraguay. Nothing about their history suggests it should.

Tactical Identity

Strength: Physical resilience and defensive organisation that has always defined Paraguayan football at its best. The 2010 quarter-final run was built on exactly these qualities — compact defending, clinical counter-attacking, and the ability to stay competitive in matches that looked like they were slipping away. Gustavo Alfaro has rebuilt around those same principles, adding technical quality in midfield that the 2010 squad lacked. Miguel Almirón gives them a creative outlet that transforms what is possible going forward.

Weakness: Goal-scoring consistency. Paraguay's CONMEBOL qualifying record was solid defensively but limited offensively — a pattern that has followed the squad into tournament preparation. Against USA's physicality and Turkey's technical quality, creating and converting chances consistently across three group matches is the challenge that determines whether they advance or exit at the group stage.

"Paraguay reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2010 and nobody talks about it enough. They beat Japan. They beat Slovakia. They took Spain to extra time. This is a nation that knows how to compete at a World Cup and knows what it takes to stay in one. Almirón fit and motivated in Group D is a genuine threat. Do not write off Los Guaraní." — Viviana Reyes, VivaSportsHQ

Key Players

Miguel Almirón — Midfielder. The most technically gifted and recognisable player in the Paraguayan squad, Almirón's Premier League experience and creative quality give Paraguay an attacking dimension that their physical approach alone cannot provide. His ability to carry the ball forward and create chances in tight spaces is the quality that makes Paraguay more than a defensive side.

Julio Enciso — Forward. The young Brighton forward is Paraguay's most exciting attacking talent — direct, technically capable, and at the age where a World Cup can define a career. His performances at club level suggest he is ready for the stage.

Antony Silva — Goalkeeper. The experienced goalkeeper is one of the most reliable in CONMEBOL and the foundation of Paraguay's defensive organisation. His composure and shot-stopping ability have been central to their qualification.

Tournament Prediction

Group D — USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey — is competitive. The USA are hosts and favourites. Turkey bring UEFA quality. Australia carry the momentum of their 2022 round of 16 appearance. Paraguay's most important match is against Australia — win that, and the round of 32 is within reach. Their 2010 tournament showed exactly what this squad's identity can produce when the system functions. Almirón and Enciso together give them the attacking quality to make it happen again.

The Road Back

Paraguay's return after sixteen years reflects the resilience of a football program that kept producing quality players — Almirón, Enciso, the next generation — without the tournament results to show for it. The 2026 qualification ends that drought. The squad that travels to North America is the most technically complete Paraguay have assembled since 2010, and the experience of that quarter-final run lives in the DNA of every player who has grown up watching it.