Paraguay
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Starting XI Prediction
Star Players
All Players →
Fixtures
Group D
Group D
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 |  Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
| 4 |  Türkiye | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
Full Squad Players List
| # | Player | Pos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||
| 1 | Roberto FernándezXI Cerro Porteño | GK | |
| 12 | Orlando Gill CA San Lorenzo | GK | |
| 22 | Gastón Olveira Club Olimpia | GK | |
| Defenders | |||
| 2 | Gustavo Velázquez Cerro Porteño | DEF | |
| 3 | Omar Alderete Sunderland AFC | DEF | |
| 4 | Juan CaceresXI FC Dynamo Moscow | DEF | |
| 5 | Fabián Balbuena Grêmio FBPA | DEF | |
| 6 | Júnior AlonsoXI Atlético Mineiro | DEF | |
| 13 | Jose Canale CA Lanús | DEF | |
| 15 | Diego Gómez SE Palmeiras | DEF | |
| 26 | Alexandro MaidanaXI CA Talleres | DEF | |
| Midfielders | |||
| 7 | Ramón SosaXI SE Palmeiras | MID | |
| 8 | Gustavo GómezXI Brighton & Hove Albion FC | MID | |
| 10 | Miguel AlmirónXI Atlanta United FC | MID | |
| 11 | MaurícioXI SE Palmeiras | MID | |
| 14 | Andrés CubasXI Vancouver Whitecaps FC | MID | |
| 16 | Damián Bobadilla São Paulo FC | MID | |
| 20 | Braian Ojeda Orlando City SC | MID | |
| 23 | Matías Galarza Atlanta United FC | MID | |
| 24 | Gustavo Caballero Portsmouth FC | MID | |
| Forwards | |||
| 9 | Antonio SanabriaXI US Cremonese | FWD | |
| 17 | Alejandro Romero Gamarra Al Ain FC | FWD | |
| 18 | Alex Arce CS Independiente Rivadavia | FWD | |
| 19 | Julio EncisoXI RC Strasbourg | FWD | |
| 21 | Gabriel Ávalos CA Independiente | FWD | |
| 25 | Isidro Pitta Red Bull Bragantino | FWD | |
World Cup History
—
Titles
9
Appearances
22
WC Goals
8
Wins
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2010)
Top scorer: José Cardozo (3 goals)
Most capped: Carlos Gamarra (16 matches)
Record: 8W – 9D – 12L
Paraguay are one of South America's most consistent World Cup qualifiers despite limited resources. The Albirroja reached the quarter-finals in 2010, their best finish, and are known for disciplined, organized football that regularly frustrates better-resourced opponents. Seven of their nine WC matches ended in draws — a testament to their defensive resilience.
Tournament Eras
The Early Appearances — 1930s Pioneers
1930–1958Paraguay participated in the 1930 inaugural World Cup and the 1950 and 1958 editions. Small and under-resourced, they were outclassed but showed the footballing identity — defensive organization, tactical discipline — that would characterize the nation across decades.
The Consistent Qualifiers — 1998 to 2010
1986–2010Paraguay qualified for five successive World Cups from 1986 to 2010, advancing from the group stage in 1986, 1998, 2002, and 2010. Their 2010 campaign — featuring goalkeeper Justo Villar and striker Roque Santa Cruz — was their finest: they beat Japan and Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to Spain.
Iconic Moments
2010 Quarter-Final — Spain Edge Past
Paraguay gave Spain an almighty scare in the quarter-finals — missing a penalty through Oscar Cardozo and seeing a David Villa goal disallowed, before Villa scored the only goal in a 1-0 defeat. Spain went on to win the World Cup. It was Paraguay's finest hour.