Paraguay has secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, ending a 16-year absence from football's premier tournament.
Gustavo Alfaro's team navigated a tough CONMEBOL qualifying campaign, finishing sixth in the standings with 28 points.
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Despite a slow start that threatened their automatic qualification hopes, Paraguay bounced back with notable wins over Brazil and Argentina.
This will be Paraguay's ninth World Cup appearance. Their best performance came in 2010, reaching the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to eventual champions Spain.
Group D Fixtures
Paraguay has been drawn in Group D alongside the United States, Türkiye, and Australia.
The group matches will be held in Los Angeles and Santa Clara, California.
- Saturday, June 13 – USA vs Paraguay – Los Angeles
- Saturday, June 20 – Türkiye vs Paraguay – Santa Clara
- Friday, June 26 – Paraguay vs Australia – Santa Clara
Kick-off times in BST: USA vs Paraguay at 2am, Türkiye vs Paraguay at 4am, Paraguay vs Australia at 3am.
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Squad Selection
The official squad features a mix of domestic and international players.
Goalkeepers: Roberto Fernández (Cerro Porteño), Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo), Gastón Olveira (Olimpia).
Defenders: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras), Júnior Alonso (Atletico Mineiro), Fabián Balbuena (Gremio), Omar Alderete (Sunderland), Juan Caceres (Dynamo Moscow), Jose Canale (Lanus), Alexandro Maidana (Talleres), Gustavo Velázquez (Cerro Porteño).
Midfielders: Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Kaku (Al Ain), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), Ramón Sosa (Palmeiras), Diego Gómez (Brighton & Hove Albion), Damián Bobadilla (São Paulo), Braian Ojeda (Orlando City), Matías Galarza (Atlanta United), Maurício (Palmeiras).
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Forwards: Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg), Gabriel Ávalos (Independiente), Alex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia), Isidro Pitta (Red Bull Bragantino), Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth).
