Gustavo Alfaro Leads Paraguay Back to 2026 World Cup With Sixth Place
paraguay is back at the World Cup for the first time since 2010, ending a nearly two-decade stretch that kept it out of the tournament after a run of four straight appearances at the turn of the century. Gustavo Alfaro guided the side to sixth place in CONMEBOL qualifying and automatic passage to 2026.
Alfaro’s qualifying run
The turnaround came after Paraguay took five points from its first 18 possible in qualifying. From there, Alfaro’s team produced wins against Brazil and Argentina and finished sixth in the CONMEBOL standings, good enough to avoid the playoffs and go straight to the World Cup.
That path matters because it came from a team that had spent nearly two decades with underwhelming results before finding its way back onto the biggest stage. Paraguay reached the quarterfinals in 2010, but this group had to rebuild its route through a crowded South American qualifying table before getting back in.
Almirón, Gómez, Enciso
The roster now mixes experience and younger attacking talent. Miguel Almirón and Gustavo Gomez bring veteran presence, while Julio Enciso and Diego Gómez give the team pace and creativity around Antonio Sanabria, who is listed as the target man up front.
That blend gives Paraguay a different look from the sides that opened qualifying slowly. It also gives Alfaro a team built to handle Group D, where the United States awaits, with a structure centered on defense, work rate and a direct attacking reference point rather than possession control.
Paraguay in Group D
For readers tracking the tournament draw, Paraguay now enters Group D with a qualification story that was built on recovery rather than ease. The early stumble did not stop the finish, and the win over two of South America’s biggest sides gave the campaign enough weight to carry it to 2026.
The practical takeaway is simple: Paraguay is no longer chasing a place in the field. It is in, and the next time it steps onto the World Cup stage, the questions will shift from whether it can qualify to how far this veteran-young blend can carry it.
