Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Paraguay

Get the lowdown onevery team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at Paraguay.

What can I expect from Paraguay?

Only the most dedicated football fans in the UK and Europe are likely to watch Paraguay's group games live - they kick off at 2am BST against the USA, 4am versus Turkey and 3am against Australia.

Anyone tuning in should keep a caffeinated drink handy. La Albirroja netted just 0.78 goals per game in qualifying, the joint-lowest average of any side to reach the finals, and failed to score in half of their 18 matches.

Their style is unashamedly pragmatic – defend stubbornly and play on the break. Paraguay averaged 37% possession in qualifying, the lowest figure in South America, and hit a higher proportion of passes long than any of their continental rivals.

It was rarely pretty but, after missing three World Cups, few fans cared. Paraguay have long embraced an underdog mentality and pride themselves on their 'garra guarani' - a fierce fighting spirit.

Gustavo Alfaro urged them to rediscover that "DNA" when he took charge two years ago. So far, his players have delivered.

What are Paraguay's strengths?

Only Ecuador shipped fewer goals in South American qualifying than Paraguay, who conceded just 10 times in 18 games.

The back four is tried and trusted, with Sunderland's Omar Alderete and Palmeiras' Gustavo Gomez forming an effective partnership in central defence.

And what about their weaknesses?

Goalscoring is an obvious concern. They netted 14 times in 18 qualifiers, and only nine of those came from open play.

Paraguay could call upon three excellent centre-forwards at their last World Cup in 2010 - Roque Santa Cruz, Oscar Cardozo and Lucas Barrios. Their current options, in comparison, are fairly uninspiring.

Goalkeeper has also been a problem position, with six different players starting between the posts in qualifying.

How might Paraguay line up?

Which players should I look out for?

Atlanta United midfielder Miguel Almiron, 32, had become a lightning rod for criticism of La Albirroja but World Cup qualification has flipped the script. The former Newcastle player won possession 82 times and created 23 chances in qualifying - both team highs - though he needs to contribute more goals.

That also applies to ex-Brighton forward Julio Enciso, who - despite a modest scoring record - regularly tries his luck from long range. The 22-year-old netted a career-best 12 goals for Strasbourg this season, though club boss Gary O'Neil feels he loses the ball too often.

Diego Gomez, 23, also reached double figures for Brighton this term. The box-to-box midfielder, who is often used on the wing by club and country, gave Paraguay a major scare when he injured his knee in April. But the issue proved less serious than first feared and he returned for the Seagulls' final game.

Who is Paraguay's head coach?

This is Gustavo Alfaro's sixth World Cup - he covered the first four for Colombian TV and was Ecuador's head coach at the 2022 tournament.

The 63-year-old says he studied top coaches closely while working as a co-commentator, hoping to pick up ideas he could use if he ever found himself in the same position.

How did Paraguay qualify?

President Santiago Pena declared a public holiday after September's goalless draw with Ecuador sealed qualification with a game to spare.

They finished sixth to claim South America's final automatic qualification spot, eight points clear of their nearest challengers Bolivia.

Where can I watch Paraguay?

All of Paraguay's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Atletico Mineiro and Paraguay left-back Junior Alonso played 6,036 minutes for club and country in 2025, according to research by the CIES Football Observatory, more than any other outfield player in the world.

Now give me some proper detail

Paraguay's presence at this World Cup is a minor miracle. The landlocked country, which has the second smallest population of any Conmebol nation, looked set for another miserable qualifying campaign after scoring just once in their opening six games.

But Gustavo Alfaro's appointment as coach galvanised them. La Albirroja lost only one of their remaining 12 qualifiers to reach a first World Cup since 2010.

The turnaround did not require a dramatic overhaul of personnel or tactics. Throughout qualifying they were content to cede possession and play on the break.

Paraguay recorded the highest 'direct speed' – a measure of how quickly the ball moves towards the opposition goal-line – of any side in South American qualifying, while their average number of passes per possession sequence was the lowest.

It was not necessarily long-ball football, but the emphasis was on playing vertically rather than through slow, intricate build-up.

Alfaro says the key to his side's improvement is a change of mindset. "All I had to do was shake the tree a little so the spiders would fall off and we would realise the tree is full of fruit," he said after a win against Brazil.

That positivity has been infectious, and the coach now believes his side are more than the sum of their parts. "These lads show me that football is not addition, it's multiplication," he says. "That gives us a chance."

How have Paraguay done at previous World Cups?

This is their ninth World Cup appearance. Their last was in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals for the first time, running eventual winners Spain close.

Paraguay missed a second-half penalty with the game goalless but bowed out to a late David Villa goal.