The Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad is shaping up as after failing to qualify for the last three World Cup tournaments, the former finals regulars return to the big stage.
Paraguay started their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign with one point from their first three matches but home wins against both Argentina and Brazil helped to pave the path north for the World Cup.
They claimed the last automatic qualification spot in South America but finished one point behind second-placed Ecuador after 18 qualifiers, eight ahead of Bolivia in the confederation’s play-off place.
Defender Omar Alderete is making waves in the Premier League with Sunderland and both Diego Gomez and teenager Diego Leon play in England’s top division.
Miguel Almiron, now back in MLS with Atlanta United, was a popular figure during his years as a Newcastle United player.
Paraguay are skippered by Palmeiras captain Gustavo Gomez, a former AC Milan centre-back with more than 85 senior international caps 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.
Squad
Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad: the November selection
- GK: Roberto Fernandez (Cerro Porteño)
- GK: Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo)
- GK: Aldo Perez (Guarani)
- DF: Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras)
- DF: Junior Alonso (Atletico Mineiro)
- DF: Juan Caceres (Dynamo Moscow)
- DF: Blas Riveros (Cerro Porteño)
- DF: Gustavo Velazquez (Cerro Porteño)
- DF: Alan Benitez (Internacional)
- DF: Agustin Sandez (Rosario Central)
- DF: Alexis Duarte (Santos)
- MF: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United)
- MF: Alejandro Romero Gamarra (Al Ain)
- MF: Ramon Sosa (Palmeiras)
- MF: Diego Gomez (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- MF: Damian Bobadilla (São Paulo)
- MF: Braian Ojeda (Real Salt Lake)
- MF: Matias Galarza (River Plate)
- MF: Diego Gonzalez (Atlas)
- MF: Hugo Cuenca (Genoa)
- MF: Diego Leon (Manchester United)
- MF: Lucas Romero (Recoleta)
- FW: Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese)
- FW: Julio Enciso (Strasbourg)
- FW: Alex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia)
- FW: Ronaldo Martinez (Platense)
Fixtures and results
November 18: Mexico 1-2 Paraguay, Alamodome, San Antonio, United States
November 15: United States 2-1 Paraguay, Subaru Park, Chester, United States
October 14: South Korea 2-0 Paraguay, Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea
October 10: Japan 2-2 Paraguay, Suita City Football Stadium, Suita, Japan
September 9: Peru 0-1 Paraguay, Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru
September 4: Paraguay 0-0 Ecuador, Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay
June 10: Brazil 1-0 Paraguay, Neo Química Arena, São Paulo, Brazil
June 5: Paraguay 2-0 Uruguay, Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay
March 25: Colombia 2-2 Paraguay, Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia
March 20: Paraguay 1-0 Chile, Estadio Defensores del Chaco, 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.
Best XI
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