On the edge of Paraguay’s first World Cup qualification in sixteen years, The Asunción Times journeys back to a golden chapter in the nation’s football history. The year is 2010 and in South Africa, The Albirroja, with midfielder Edgar Barreto in their ranks, storms to the quarter-finals: an unprecedented triumph, the finest World Cup performance Paraguay has ever delivered.
Though Spain proved too strong, the heroic, hard-fought victory over Japan in the round of 16 remains a memory forever carved into the heart of a football-mad nation. Join us as we visit Edgar Barreto, now 41, to relive those unforgettable moments.
And we have the privilege of meeting the next generation, as Barreto’s son, Matías, is building a professional football career in the Netherlands. Carrying forward the Barreto legacy with promise and ambition.
Edgar Barreto’s football journey
Edgar Barreto lives a happy life. In the tranquil town of Malden, near the Dutch city of Nijmegen, where he played for several years with top-tier club NEC Nijmegen, Barreto has settled with his family following an impressive football career. That remarkable journey began in Asunción, where the former Cerro Porteño player, at the tender age of 18, moved to the Netherlands, before making his mark in Italian football.
“I have always felt truly at home in the Netherlands,” Barreto starts. “Though, perhaps not immediately; when I arrived in Amsterdam in January 2004, I went from 40 degrees in Paraguayan summer, to minus 5 in the Dutch winter. Everything was blanketed in snow and bitterly cold. I did not even own a coat! I quickly went to purchase one at a shopping centre.”
His greatest football triumh
From 2004 to 2007, Barreto played 107 matches for NEC, becoming a top favourite among the fans. After thirteen years in Italy, playing for Reggina, Atalanta Bergamo, Palermo, and Sampdoria his career ended in 2022 at NEC after his return to Nijmegen. During those years Barreto became an Albirroja legend by earning 60 caps for Paraguay and competing in the World Cups of 2006 and 2010. At the 2004 Olympic Games, he secured a silver medal together with his older brother, goalkeeper Diego Barreto.
His greatest triumph with the Paraguay national team remains guiding The Albirroja to the quarter-finals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, beating Japan after penalty’s. Matías, Barreto’s eldest son, now 18 and carving out his own path with Dutch professional club FC Emmen, knows these World Cup moments all too well.
A proud Barreto junior
“In the round of 16, they triumphed over Japan on penalties,” Matías recalls effortlessly, every detail of his father’s career etched in his mind. “He stepped up to take the first penalty – I cannot even imagine doing that. That responsibility under such pressure? The walk from the halfway line to the penalty spot, all alone? No, no, no,” the youngster says with a smile.
After a goalless draw through the 90 minutes and 30 minutes of extra time, Paraguay defeated Japan on penalties to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
“But then the defeat to Spain in the next round,” Matías continues. “I would have crumbled. Tears, endless tears. But dad was proud above all. I often ask him about his career.”
As a young boy in 2010, Matías sat in the stands with his mother in South Africa. The most vivid memories to his father’s career though, for him stem from later years. From Palermo, Sampdoria, and NEC. “The roar of the derby at Sampdoria against Genoa, unbelievable. But also at NEC, playing at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam against Feyenoord; that atmosphere is magical. That is where I want to be.”
A father’s pride
“Matías is mentally stronger now than I was at his age,” Barreto declares with pride. “Every morning, he rises early to go for a run before school. I did that too, but far less consistently. I design training programmes for him, and he follows them diligently. I often record his matches with a camera, and we review them together afterwards.”
Matías places unwavering trust in his father’s guidance, his idol. “If I follow his advice, I know it will turn out well. I just know it.”
In his father’s footsteps?
Perhaps one day Matías will follow in his father’s footsteps, wearing The Albirroja jersey with pride. And achieve greatness, echoing the midfielder’s heroics of 2010.
“I am still in touch with the team from back then through a shared WhatsApp group,” Barreto reveals. “In Paraguay, they still gather for asados, barbecues. I have not been back there in a long time. My life is now in the Netherlands.”
On Thursday, in what could be Paraguay’s deciding match to secure its first World Cup spot since 2010 against Ecuador, Barreto will be cheering for The Albirroja. “I hope they succeed, especially for the people of Paraguay. They still take pride in the generation of 2010, and I am deeply grateful for that.”
To follow Barreto junior’s football journey, follow Matías Barreto on Instagram.
