Paraguay
PAR · CONMEBOL
Head Coach
Gustavo Alfaro
Gustavo Alfaro leads Paraguay into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tasked with guiding the squad through a competitive Group D and beyond. The coaching staff has been preparing tactical approaches tailored to the expanded 48-team tournament format.
Group Stage Venue
New York/New Jersey
Paraguay will play their group stage matches in New York/New Jersey. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted across three nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — with matches spread across 16 world-class venues.
Squad (26 players)
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Recent Form & Current State
Paraguay qualified through CONMEBOL qualification under Gustavo Alfaro, returning to the World Cup after missing 2018 and 2022. Alfaro has instilled defensive discipline and tactical organization. Young star Julio Enciso has emerged as a key creative threat.
Form heading into a major tournament is often a key indicator of how far a team can progress. Paraguay, currently ranked #40 in the FIFA World Rankings, will look to carry momentum from their recent qualifying and friendly campaigns into the group stage. Consistency in results and squad cohesion built during the qualification cycle will be vital assets. The CONMEBOLrepresentatives will be eager to demonstrate their quality on the world's biggest stage in 2026.
World Cup History
Paraguay have appeared in eight World Cups. Their best finish was the quarterfinals in 2010 in South Africa. They also reached the Round of 16 in 1998 and 2002, establishing themselves as a competitive CONMEBOL side.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Paraguay's history in the competition provides important context for their 2026 campaign. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, every nation faces both new opportunities and new challenges in the revamped group stage format featuring groups of four with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout round. Paraguay will aim to write a new chapter in their World Cup story at this historic edition of the tournament.
Group D Opponents
Paraguay faces United States and Turkey and Australia in Group D. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Group dynamics, head-to-head records, and tactical matchups will all play a role in determining which teams progress from this stage.