Paraguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

FIFA's feature on Paraguay's qualification made one point clear: Gustavo Alfaro changed the tone of the cycle. The team had started in difficulty, but under his guidance they rebuilt belief and secured a return to the finals for the first time since 2010.

That matters because Paraguay have always needed a coherent collective identity more than individual glamour. Alfaro restored that, and the team responded by becoming difficult to beat and emotionally harder to shake.

Qualification therefore felt less like a surprise than a recovery of something familiar. Paraguay found their old edge again, and in CONMEBOL that can be enough to matter enormously.

Gomez anchors the defence, Villasanti gives the midfield its engine, and Almiron plus Enciso offer the attacking speed and unpredictability that keep the side from becoming one-dimensional.

This is still a team that prefers matches to feel tense and combative. Paraguay are generally happier in a low-margin game than in an open, high-possession contest.

That profile can be very effective in tournament football, especially if the defensive line stays healthy. The risk is that the attack still lacks volume if the first plan is contained.