Paraguay name preliminary squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Man United youngster Diego León & Miguel Almirón
(Courtesy : Getty)
Paraguay’s last appearance in the World Cup came in 2010.
Gustavo Alfaro has announced Paraguay’s preliminary World Cup squad as the South American nation begin their preparation for one of the top competitions.
Paraguay are returning to the World Cup for the first time since making it to the quarterfinals in 2010, and there is hope that a similar run can be achieved.
With only five points from the first 18 attainable in qualification, Paraguay’s chances of making it back to the World Cup were in jeopardy.
However, they finished comfortably sixth in the CONMEBOL standings after two strong victories over Brazil and Argentina under new manager Gustavo Alfaro, guaranteeing them a spot in the World Cup without having to go through the playoffs.
Paraguay’s preliminary squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers: Roberto Fernández (Cerro Porteño), Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo), Gastón Olveira (Olimpia), Carlos Coronel (São Paulo), Santiago Rojas (Nacional), Juan Espínola (Barracas Central)
Defenders: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras), Júnior Alonso (Atlético Mineiro), Fabián Balbuena (Grêmio), Omar Alderete (Sunderland), Juan Cáceres (Dynamo Moscow), Blas Riveros (Cerro Porteño), Alan Benítez (Libertad), Agustín Sandez (Rosario Central), Mateo Gamarra (Cruzeiro), Saúl Salcedo (Newell’s Old Boys), José Canale (Lanús), Diego León (Manchester United), Alexandro Maidana (Talleres), Alcides Benítez (Belgrano), Ronaldo Dejesus (Lanús), Alan Núñez (Nacional)
Midfielders: Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Mathías Villasanti (Gremio), Kaku (Al Ain), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), Ramón Sosa (Palmeiras), Diego Gómez (Brighton & Hove Albion), Damián Bobadilla (Sao Paulo), Braian Ojeda (Orlando City), Matías Galarza (Atlanta United), Robert Piris Da Motta (Cerro Porteno), Alvaro Campuzano (Libertad), Diego Gonzalez (Atlas), Hugo Cuenca (Burgos), Mauricio Magalhaes (Palmeiras), Lucas Romero (Universidad de Chile), Enso González (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Ruben Lezcano (Olimpia)
Forwards: Óscar Romero (Huracán), Ángel Romero (Boca Juniors), Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg), Gabriel Ávalos (Independiente), Carlos González (Independiente del Valle), Alex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia), Adam Bareiro (Boca Juniors), Lorenzo Melgarejo (Libertad), Isidro Pitta (Red Bull Bragantino), Ronaldo Martínez (Talleres), Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth), Robert Morales (UNAM), Adrián Alcaraz (Olimpia), Rodney Redes (LDU Quito)
Predicted Paraguay Starting XI (4-4-2):
Fernandez; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Riveros; Gonzalez, Bobadilla, D. Gomez, Almiron; Enciso, Sanabria
Group stage schedule for World Cup 2026
June 12: Paraguay vs United States — Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California (9 p.m. ET)
June 20: Paraguay vs Türkiye — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California (12 a.m. ET)
June 25: Australia vs Paraguay — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California (10 p.m. ET)
Which World Cup group are Paraguay in?
They are in Group D.
When is their first game?
Their first game is against the USA, on 13th June, 6:30 am IST.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.