The Paraguayan football teams finished their group stages in their respective international cup matches this week. Libertad, Cerro Porteño, and Olimpia in the Copa Libertadores tournament, and Guaraní and Sportivo Luqueño in the Copa Sudamericana. These matches are very important for Paraguayan football fans, who wish their teams will bring them cup glory, putting Paraguay back on top of the South American football map. Let us look at how the teams did in their group stage.
Copa Libertadores
With Olimpia as winners of the Copa Libertadores in 1979, 1990, and 2002, Libertad and Cerro Porteño never won the elite South American competition. The last time a Paraguayan team reached the final was in 2014, when Club Nacional lost against Argentina’s San Lorenzo. Since River Plate’s cup glory in 2018 for Argentina, only Brazilian clubs have won the cup. Flamengo, Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Botafogo.
Libertad
Libertad qualified for the knockout stages of this year’s Copa Libertadores, finishing second in group D with São Paulo of Brazil, Peru’s Alianza Lima, and Talleres Cordoba of Argentina. After their six group matches, Libertad stands proud with nine points reaching the next round, with group winner São Paulo. Libertad’s last game ended in a tie (2-2) against Alianza Lima in Asunción on Wednesday.
Cerro Porteño
Cerro Porteño also finished second, and got thorough to the next stage of the Copa Libertadores. In Group G Palmeiras of Brazil finished first, with Bolivar of Bolivia, and Peru’s Sporting Cristal trailing in third and fourth place. It is due to the fact that Palmeiras won all of their six matches, that seven points only, was sufficient for Cerro to get second place. Cerro’s last group stage game resulted in a 4-0 away loss against Bolivar on Thursday.
Olimpia
Olimpia was in Group H with Vélez Sarsfield of Argentina, Uruguay’s Peñarol, and Club Deportivo San Antonio Bulo Bulo of Bolivia. After Olimpia’s six cup matches, even a final 4-0 win against San Antonio on Thursday could not save the Asunción team from last place, and thus elimination.
Copa Sudamericana
So far, no Paraguayan teams have reached the final for Copa Sudamericana cup glory since the cup’s inception in 2002. However, the final was played twice in Asunción as these matches are played on neutral grounds. In 2019 and 2024, the final was held at the Pablo Rojas Stadium in Asunción. Last year, Racing of Argentina won against Cruzeiro of Brazil in front of over 40,000 people.
Guaraní
Guaraní was in Group A with CA Independiente of Argentina, Uruguay’s Boston River, and Nacional Potosí of Bolivia. After their six cup matches, Guaraní finished second with eight points and are qualified for the playoff to make it into the next round. The last game resulted in a crushing 5-0 home loss against Boston River in Asunción, but El Legendario is still in the race.
Sportivo Luqueño
Sportivo Luqueño was in Group D with Godoy Cruz of Argentina, Brazil’s Grêmio, and Club Atlético Grau of Peru. The ambitious underdog played last night in Brazil against Grêmio in front of just over 5,000 fans and lost 1-0. After their six cup matches, Sportivo Luqueño finished last in their group, with two points, and are thus eliminated.
Upcoming matches for cup glory
On June 2, the draw will be made to sort out the next Copa Libertadores round. The 16 remaining clubs will play their next matches around August 12. Quarterfinals then after will start on September 16, semifinals on October 21, and the final is planned on November 29.
The Copa Sudamericana playoffs are going to be played in between July 15 and 24. If Guaraní gets through, the team will play their next round matches in between August 12 and 21. Quarterfinals will be played in September, semifinals in October, and the big final for cup glory on November 23.
Upcoming Albirroja matches
While the remaining three teams are not playing cup matches for a while, Paraguay is getting ready for Albirroja to play soon! The national team will play two matches in the next two weeks. These are World Cup qualifiers on June 5 against Uruguay in Asunción, and on June 10 against Brazil. The game in Brazil will be one of the first for Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of the Brazilian national team.
After 14 out of 18 matches, Paraguay is in fifth position in the CONMEBOL ranking with 21 points. The first six teams in the final stands will qualify for the World Cup 2026, held in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
