Another exhilarating evening awaits in Asunción as the Paraguay national football team welcomes Uruguay in a pivotal clash. This Thursday, June 5 at 8:00 PM at the iconic Estadio Ueno Defensores del Chaco, Paraguay can take a significant step towards qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in one of the team’s final four CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. For the first time in Paraguayan television history, there will be a Guaraní broadcast of an Albirroja match.
Currently, Paraguay holds 5th place in the CONMEBOL standings with 21 points, level with Uruguay (3rd) and Brazil (4th). With 7th-placed Venezuela trailing at 15 points, a Paraguayan victory over Uruguay would almost certainly secure the Albirroja’s return to the World Cup stage after a 16-year absence.
Qualifying for the 2026 tournament, hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico, would mark Paraguay’s first World Cup appearance since their successful 2010 campaign in South Africa.
Local schools filling the stands
Due to overwhelming demand and a FIFA sanction on the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), no tickets remain available. The association was sanctioned by FIFA due to discriminatory chants, security failures, and the use of pyrotechnics by fans during the World Cup qualifier against Chile on March 20. As a result, the APF faced a US$30,000 fine, and a 15% reduction in stadium capacity for the match against Uruguay. Local schools will fill the remaining stands to ensure a full stadium, enhancing the atmosphere.
Guaraní broadcast of the Albirroja
For the first time in Paraguayan television history, a Paraguay national team match will be broadcast in the Guaraní language. This will be a historical moment not just for Popular TV, but for all Paraguayans in the Tierra Guaraní (Guarani land). To watch the match against Uruguay in Guaraní, fans are encouraged to tune in across all of Popular TV’s platforms.
The broadcast is available via Channel 26 on TIGO, Channel 21 on Personal, Channel 29 on Claro, and Channel 16 on Copaco IPTV. Fans will also be able to wach via live stream on Popular’s YouTube channel. For more information about broadcasts, find Popu on Instagram.
The historic bond between Paraguay and Uruguay is also celebrated off the pitch, and is still visible today at the Plaza Uruguaya in Asunción.
Brazil up next
Five days after the clash with Uruguay in Asunción, the next Albirroja opponent will be Brazil. On June 10, the match at the Neo Química Arena in São Paulo is set to kick off at 9:45 PM. Earlier in this CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, Paraguay surprised with a 1-0 win over Brazil in Asunción. Twenty-one-year-old midfielder Diego Gómez, who was then with Inter Miami and set to join Brighton & Hove Albion, scored the only goal in the 20th minute.
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