The Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad is shaping up as the former regulars return to the big stage after failing to qualify for the last three tournaments.
Paraguay started their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign with one point from their first three matches but home wins against both Argentina and Brazil set them on the road to the World Cup. One of the lesser-fancied squads in the tournament might be in line to produce a few more shocks.
They claimed the last automatic spot from the South American confederation, finishing 10 points behind CONMEBOL group winners and possible World Cup favourites Argentina.
Defender Omar Alderete is making waves in the Premier League with Sunderland and both Diego Gomez (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth) play in England. All three were in the latest squad.
Miguel Almiron, now back in MLS with Atlanta United, was a popular figure during his years as a Newcastle United player. Diego Leon, 14 years his junior, is on the books of Manchester United and has already been capped, though he wasn't included in the most recent selection.
Paraguay are captained by Palmeiras captain Gustavo Gomez, a former AC Milan centre-back with more 88 senior international caps to his name and league titles in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil on his CV.
Julio Enciso, the talented young attacking midfielder who joined BlueCo and Strasbourg from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2025, scored three goals in Paraguay’s qualification campaign. In all, he has scored four goals in 31 senior internationals.
Squad
Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad: the March selection
- GK: Roberto Fernández (Cerro Porteño)
- GK: Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo)
- GK: Gastón Olveira (Olimpia)
- DF: Gustavo Velázquez (Cerro Porteño)
- DF: Omar Alderete (Sunderland)
- DF: Juan Cáceres (Dynamo Moscow)
- DF: Fabián Balbuena (Grêmio)
- DF: Júnior Alonso (Atlético Mineiro)
- DF: Alan Benítez (Libertad)
- DF: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras)
- DF: José Canale (Lanús)
- DF: Alexandro Maidana (Talleres)
- MF: Ramón Sosa (Palmeiras)
- MF: Diego Gómez (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- MF: Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United)
- MF: Maurício Magalhães (Palmeiras)
- MF: Lucas Romero (Universidad de Chile)
- MF: Damián Bobadilla (São Paulo)
- MF: Braian Ojeda (Orlando City)
- MF: Matías Galarza (Atlanta United)
- FW: Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese)
- FW: Álex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia)
- FW: Julio Enciso (Strasbourg)
- FW: Gabriel Ávalos (Independiente)
- FW: Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth)
Fixtures
- June 12, 2026: United States vs Paraguay, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
- June 19, 2026: Turkiye vs Paraguay, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
- June 25, 2026: Paraguay vs Australia, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
Recent Results
- March 31, 2026: Morocco 2-1 Paraguay, Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France
- March 27, 2026: Greece 0-1 Paraguay, Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece
- November 18, 2025: Mexico 1-2 Paraguay, Alamodome, San Antonio, United States
- November 15, 2025: United States 2-1 Paraguay, Subaru Park, Chester, United States
- October 14, 2025: South Korea 2-0 Paraguay, Yongin Citizen Sports Park, Yongin, South Korea
- October 10, 2025: Japan 2-2 Paraguay, Panasonic Stadium Suita, Osaka, Japan
- September 10, 2025: Peru 0-1 Paraguay, Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru
- September 05, 2025: Paraguay 0-0 Ecuador, Defensores del Chaco Stadium, Asunción, Paraguay
- June 11, 2025: Brazil 1-0 Paraguay, Neo Química Arena, São Paulo, Brazil
- June 06, 2025: Paraguay 2-0 Uruguay, Defensores del Chaco Stadium, Asunción, Paraguay
- March 26, 2025: Colombia 2-2 Paraguay, Estadio Metropolitano, Barranquilla, Colombia
- March 20, 2025: Paraguay 1-0 Chile, Defensores del Chaco Stadium, Asunción, Paraguay
Manager
Who is Paraguay's manager?
Paraguay’s head coach is the vastly experienced Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro, who made the shift into international football with Ecuador in 2020 and had a spell in charge of Costa Rica in between.
With the exception of a few months in the Saudi Pro League, Alfaro spent the entirety of his club management career in Argentina. His longest and most successful tenure by far was with Arsenal de Sarandi, with whom he won the Clausura and the Copa Sudamericana.
Alfaro was Ecuador’s coach at the last World Cup, where they beat hosts Qatar and drew with the Netherlands but ultimately fell short in the group stage.
Star player
Who is Paraguay's star player?
Antonio Sanabria, who joined newly promoted Serie A side Cremonese from Torino in 2025 and is competing with Jamie Vardy and Federico Bonazzoli in a surprisingly well-stocked front line, enjoyed a breakout qualifying campaign.
The former Real Betis forward netted four times including winners against Bolivia and Venezuela, and the equaliser in Paraguay’s 2-1 home win against runaway group winners Argentina.
Sanabria has been a senior international since 2013 but won twice as many caps in 2025 as he had in any single previous calendar year. Almost all of his international goals have come in home qualifiers in Asuncion. He’ll be hoping the most recent one, scored in the United States, will be a sign of things to come.
