Paraguay at the World Cup 2026
Paraguay arrive at the 2026 World Cup after a 16-year absence — their last appearance was South Africa 2010, where they reached the quarter-finals. Gustavo Alfaro, the Argentine head coach appointed in May 2024 after Daniel Garnero's departure, has been the architect of the surprise CONMEBOL qualification, taking the Albirroja from outside the top six to a comfortable fifth-place finish.
The squad is built around Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United since his 2024 return to MLS from Newcastle) as the right-of-front-three attacking option. Veteran goalkeeper Antony Silva (Olimpia) retains the No. 1 jersey at 41 years old — Paraguay's all-time appearance record for any goalkeeper. The double pivot of Atlético Mineiro's Diego Gómez and Cruz Azul's Damián Bobadilla provides the central control.
Captain Junior Alonso (Krasnodar) anchors the centre-back pairing alongside Boca Juniors' Omar Alderete. The new generation includes Brighton's Julio Enciso (still recovering from his 2024 knee injury but in the squad) and Lazio's Ronaldo Martínez. Wide depth comes from Tony Sanabria (Torino) and Diego Sosa (Cerro Porteño).
Group D contains USA, Türkiye and Australia. Paraguay are competing with Australia for the third and fourth positions behind the USA (favourites at 2.20) and Türkiye (3.20). The realistic ceiling is a single group-stage win plus a draw — likely against Australia; the credible bottom is a 0W/0D/3L exit. Outright tournament price 251.0.
Outright odds — Paraguay to win World Cup 2026
Group D fixtures
All three group-stage matches for Paraguay at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.
Squad & predicted XI
Silva · Espínola, Alonso, Alderete, Caballero · Almirón, Ríos, Bobadilla, Sanabria · Sosa, Enciso
Formation: 4-4-2 · Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antony Silva | GK | Olimpia | 80 | 0 |
| Junior Alonso (c) | DF | Krasnodar | 60 | 2 |
| Omar Alderete | DF | Boca Juniors | 40 | 4 |
| Gustavo Velázquez | DF | Olimpia | 30 | 0 |
| Iván Cavallero | DF | Libertad | 24 | 0 |
| Damián Bobadilla | MF | Cruz Azul | 18 | 1 |
| Diego Gómez | MF | Atlético Mineiro | 24 | 4 |
| Miguel Almirón | MF | Atlanta United | 70 | 11 |
| Julio Enciso | FW | Brighton | 22 | 4 |
| Tony Sanabria | FW | Torino | 38 | 9 |
How Paraguay qualified for World Cup 2026
Paraguay qualified from CONMEBOL with 28 points from 18 matches — fifth place behind Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Ecuador. Eight wins, four draws, six losses. The Alfaro era began with three straight wins in October-November 2024 (over Argentina 2-1, Bolivia 2-1, Venezuela 1-0) — the result run that established the side as a credible qualifier.
Julio Enciso, despite his injury-disrupted club season, finished as the squad's leading qualifying scorer with 4 goals. Almirón and Tony Sanabria added 3 each. The Alfaro defensive structure conceded 17 goals across 18 matches — average for a CONMEBOL qualifier and an improvement from the 23 conceded under previous coaches in the equivalent campaign.
The standout result was the 2-1 home win over Argentina in October 2024 — Paraguay's first competitive win over Argentina since 2011. Diego Gómez and Antonio Sanabria scored in a result that defined the Alfaro era and confirmed the federation's tactical-structure mandate.
World Cup history
Paraguay have appeared at eight previous World Cups. Best finish: quarter-finals at South Africa 2010 — lost 1-0 to Spain (eventual champions) in the quarter-final after beating Japan on penalties in the Round of 16. They also reached the Round of 16 at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006. They are the only CONMEBOL nation with a Round of 16 appearance at four consecutive World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010).
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Group stage |
| 1950 | Brazil | Group stage |
| 1958 | Sweden | Group stage |
| 1986 | Mexico | Round of 16 |
| 1998 | France | Round of 16 |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | Round of 16 |
| 2006 | Germany | Round of 16 |
| 2010 | South Africa | Quarter-finals |
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roque Santa Cruz | FW | retired | 112 | 32 |
| Saturnino Arrúa | FW | retired | 60 | 17 |
| Romerito | FW | retired | 75 | 13 |
| Miguel Almirón | MF | Atlanta United | 70 | 11 |
| Salvador Cabañas | FW | retired | 41 | 12 |
| Carlos Gamarra | DF | retired | 110 | 12 |
FAQ
Who is Paraguay's coach at World Cup 2026?
Gustavo Alfaro, the Argentine head coach appointed in May 2024. Alfaro previously managed Ecuador to the Qatar 2022 World Cup and has had a long club career in Argentina, including stints at Boca Juniors, Tigre and Huracán. The Paraguay role is his second national-team appointment, and he delivered surprise qualification from a difficult CONMEBOL field.
When did Paraguay last appear at the World Cup?
South Africa 2010 — a 16-year absence. They reached the quarter-finals there, losing 1-0 to eventual champions Spain after beating Japan on penalties in the Round of 16. They have not qualified for 2014, 2018 or 2022.
Is Miguel Almirón in Paraguay's 2026 squad?
Yes. Almirón, 31, returned to MLS at Atlanta United in summer 2024 after seven years at Newcastle United. He is Paraguay's most-experienced active attacker (70 caps, 11 goals) and the right-sided forward in Alfaro's 4-4-2. He has scored at every major Paraguay competition since his 2019 international debut.
Who is Paraguay's all-time top scorer?
Roque Santa Cruz with 32 goals from 112 caps. Santa Cruz played for Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Real Betis at club level during a 20-year senior career. Saturnino Arrúa sits second on 17 goals; Salvador Cabañas (the Mexican-league forward whose 2010 shooting injury ended his career) fourth on 12.
What group is Paraguay in at World Cup 2026?
Group D alongside USA, Türkiye and Australia. USA are favourites at 2.20; Türkiye second at 3.20; Australia and Paraguay compete for third and fourth. Paraguay open against the USA at SoFi Stadium Los Angeles on 12 June, face Türkiye on 19 June (MD2), and conclude against Australia.