More than 8,000 people, comprising both Paraguayan nationals and foreign residents, have travelled from Paraguay to the United States to support the national football team at the 2026 World Cup. The figures, which cover the period between 4 June and 2 July, were released by Paraguay’s National Directorate of Migrations. This significant movement of supporters highlights the passion for the magical World Cup run of the national team, known as the Albirroja (The White and Red).
According to official records from the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, a total of 8,045 people departed for the United States. Favio Espinoza, the Director of Migratory Movement, provided a detailed breakdown of these numbers. He confirmed that of the total travellers, 7,324 are Paraguayan citizens, while the remaining 721 are foreign nationals who hold legal residency in Paraguay. Consequently, this demonstrates a widespread base of support for the team extending beyond national citizens.
Final tally may increase
In his statement, Espinoza noted that the figure of 8,045 represents the data compiled up to Wednesday, 2 July. He suggested that the final count is likely to be even higher. The report for Thursday was still being finalised as commercial flights continued to depart with more supporters. Therefore, a complete and final tally will be available once all data for the travel window has been fully processed and accounted for by the migration authorities.
The surge in departures became particularly noticeable following Paraguay’s successful qualification for the knockout stage of the tournament. Espinoza explained that this magical World Cup run directly translated into a spike in travel demand. In the final few days of the reporting period, the airport registered an average of approximately 500 passengers per day heading to the United States, a clear indicator of the growing excitement and optimism among fans who decided to make last-minute travel arrangements.
Travel methods and supporter profile
Regarding the logistics of this large-scale movement, the director clarified that the vast majority of fans travelled on scheduled commercial flights. He pointed out that only two charter flights were registered in connection with the tournament. These two flights departed on 11 June, carrying a combined total of 568 passengers. Since that date, all subsequent travel by supporters has been undertaken using regular commercial airline services.
The National Directorate of Migrations also provided a demographic profile of the travelling supporters. The data reveals that 60% of the travellers were men, while the remaining 40% were women. Furthermore, the largest concentration of fans fell within the 30 to 49 age bracket. In addition, Espinoza mentioned that a smaller, yet notable, percentage of travellers consisted of children and adolescents under the age of 18, the majority of whom were travelling with their families to share in the experience.
Dynamic patterns of fan travel
A particularly interesting trend observed by migration officials was the dynamic flow of passengers. Espinoza detailed how many dedicated fans had travelled to the United States for the initial group stage matches and subsequently returned to Paraguay. However, after the national team secured its advancement to the knockout rounds, a significant number of these same supporters booked new flights and departed for the United States once again. This pattern of returning and then travelling back highlights the exceptional level of dedication and financial commitment from the most ardent fans.
Finally, Espinoza placed these figures within the broader context of airport operations. He reminded the public that Silvio Pettirossi International Airport also serves as a key transit point for many other foreign tourists travelling to the United States and other international destinations. As a result, the total passenger movement recorded at the airport during this period is considerably greater than the 8,045 supporters alone, demonstrating the facility’s capacity to manage both event-driven surges and its regular international traffic simultaneously.
