The Paraguay Gaelic football team, nicknamed Las Arpas (The Harps) left for Ireland on Monday, 5 July, to compete in the World Games. The tournament is hosted every 3-4 years, and brings the top Gaelic football clubs from around the world to compete for the world title. This year the event is hosted in Waterford, Ireland from 13 to 17 July. The 2026 edition marks the first time Paraguay will compete in the event.
There are 36 teams competing on the men’s side of the tournament and 28 on the women’s side. Paraguay is sending one men’s team and is joined by Argentina as the only other South American country competing. Thanks to a fiercely motivated community in Asunción, whose passion and spirit for the team have turned this dream into reality.
From grassroots to the world stage
Gaelic football originated in Ireland and is a unique sport combining elements of rugby and football where players can carry the ball with their hands but points are primarily scored with their feet by either beating the goalkeeper for three points, or kicking it through the uprights for one point.
Despite being an Irish sport, Paraguay’s Gaelic football club was started somewhat surprisingly by a man from Thailand, Mozz Piokliang on July 24, 2024.
“Mozz literally just took a ball and went to a park where he would practice different Gaelic football drills,” says Giovani Teixeira, Las Arpas current president. “He went at the same time same day every week and his consistency paid off. People started to join and now, two years later, we are competing at the World Games in Ireland.”
Paperwork headaches
Taking the club from a fun Sunday kick about to qualifying for the World Games did not happen by chance, however. Las Arpas had to officially form as a club under the Ministry of Sport in Paraguay, and appoint members to executive roles like president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer.
There were a host of administrative requirements from the governing body in Ireland that the team had to fulfill. Paperwork headaches complete, there was also the question of proving they were good enough to compete with the best in the world.
For the past year the team has been training three days per week (plus an additional female-only practice on Wednesdays, Teixeira notes) and discussing lineups, formations, and strategies during downtime to prepare for the world stage.
The first real preparation came in November 2025, when Paraguay went to Buenos Aires, Argentina (the epicenter of Gaelic football in South America) to compete in its first international tournament. The team finished 3rd out of nine teams, an impressive debut that gave Las Arpas confidence that they can compete with the best teams on the continent.
A few months and many more training sessions later in May 2026, the team went to Chile for another tournament and won it all, beating a strong, young Argentinian team in the final. Next stop: Ireland.
It takes a village to raise a champion
With the paperwork and skill components taken care of, there was still a large overhanging question surrounding the club’s participation in Ireland: where will they get the money to pay for the trip?
The answer was to raise funds the Paraguayan way, hosting fundraising events where they cooked and sold meat (asado), paella, and risottos to help them get to Ireland. They have also sold jerseys and other merchandise. Part of the trip is funded by the players, but another part is funded by the friends, family, and wider Paraguayan community who came together to support Las Arpas.
Lastly, the team found sponsors. Paraguayan companies, and even an Irish company with Paraguayan ties, believed in their dream and wanted their brands associated with Las Arpas.
“To everyone that has bought a plate of paella at a fundraising event, bought a jersey and worn it proudly, provided rides or accommodation to players in tournaments, or shared information about the team on social media, we say thank you,” says Teixeira. “You are the reason the team is going to Ireland, and we are going to do our damn best to make you proud.”
