Paraguay. The pre-tournament read.

Paraguay arrive at their first World Cup in sixteen years with the same structural identity that defined the senior team's golden era — defensive discipline, counter-attacking patience, a centre-back captain and a goal-scoring number 9. Alfaro's eighteen months in the job have been a methodical rebuild around the structure that suited the squad. Group D is genuinely winnable in places: the United States is the seeded host (so a high-traffic opener), Australia are the experienced AFC piece, Turkey are the European playoff winners. The route to the round of 16 requires either out-finishing Australia or beating Turkey in a head-to-head finishing fight. The country's last knockout-stage match was 2010; the squad has spent the cycle preparing to play another one.

AGENT-AUTHOREDAgent-authored tournament read. Treat the framing and group outlook as editorial judgement; sourced facts are separated below.

Top three starsGROUNDED

Palmeiras · Centre-back
Gustavo Gómez
Captain and the spine of the defensive structure. Palmeiras's most-decorated active foreigner; the player Alfaro's back-line is built around.
Torino · Centre-forward
Antonio Sanabria
Serie A regular since 2021. The first-choice number 9 and the player Paraguay's counter-attacking phase has been routed through under Alfaro.
Atlanta United · Attacking midfield
Miguel Almirón
Six Premier League seasons at Newcastle United (2019-2025) before returning to MLS. The senior creative presence and the vice-captain Paraguay's attacks have run through for the better part of a decade.

Qualifying scorer sketchAGENT-AUTHORED

Agent-authored figures · needs verification before match-use.

01 Antonio Sanabria · Torino5 g · 14 of 18
02 Miguel Almirón · Atlanta United3 g · 12 of 18
03 Julio Enciso · Brighton3 g · 10 of 18

Road to 2026GROUNDED

12 AUG 2024
Gustavo Alfaro appointed head coach
Replaced Daniel Garnero after a poor start to CONMEBOL qualifying. Alfaro arrived with the Ecuador Qatar 2022 R16 result on his CV.
15 NOV 2025
Paraguay qualify for the World Cup with two matches to spare
First World Cup since South Africa 2010. Twelve years of tournament absence ended by an Alfaro project built on defensive structure and counter-attacking patience.
5 DEC 2025
Drawn into Group D with USA, Australia, Turkey
The USA (host) is the seeded test. Australia have round-of-16 history at recent World Cups. Turkey are the UEFA Path C playoff winner. Genuine three-way fight for second place.

Did you knowGROUNDED

Paraguay's last World Cup appearance was South Africa 2010 — round of 16, losing the famous quarter-final to Spain on a Justo Villar penalty save (Spain won 1-0 nonetheless). Twelve years of tournament absence followed.
Paraguay have appeared at nine World Cups (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2026). Their best finishes are the quarter-finals at Sweden 1958 (lost 3-0 to France in the semi-final round, missed-the-final group format) and South Africa 2010 (lost 1-0 to Spain in the QF).
Gustavo Alfaro is Paraguay's second consecutive non-Paraguayan head coach (after Daniel Garnero, Argentine, 2023-2024). He previously coached Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup, where they reached the round of 16.
Antonio Sanabria's qualifying-campaign goal tally was Paraguay's first significant senior-team contribution by a centre-forward since Roque Santa Cruz's career was at its peak.

Manager + squad

In charge since 1 AUG 2024

Gustavo Alfaro

Argentine, second consecutive non-Paraguayan to manage La Albirroja. Previously took Ecuador to Qatar 2022 (where they reached the round of 16). Compact 4-3-3, the kind of organised pragmatism that has historically suited Paraguay's senior team and ended their twelve-year tournament absence in his first qualifying cycle.

Squad status

Provisional squad announced — final cuts pending

The rest of Group D

United States
Australia
Turkey

← All 12 groups