Many recall Shakira’s Waka Waka, but fewer might remember Paraguay’s 2010 World Cup heroes that inspired the nation at the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. That tournament marked the final appearance of Paraguay’s national team at the World Cup.
Under the leadership of El Léon Guaraní Nelson Valdez, Óscar Cardozo, and manager Tata Martino, Paraguay was defeated in the quarter-final by Spain on 3 July 2010. For Paraguay, reaching the quarter-finals in South Africa remains their finest World Cup achievement to date, a historic milestone.
Presently, on the edge of Paraguay’s first World Cup qualification in sixteen years, all but two players from that iconic squad have retired. Let us find out what became of the players who featured in the last Albirroja World Cup match, versus Spain on 3 July 2010.
Goalkeeper
Justo Villar was at Real Valladolid in Spain at the time of Paraguay’s 2010 World Cup. Following his release due to financial difficulties, he joined Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina. After two years, he transferred to Club Nacional in Paraguay. Villar excelled, leading the team to victory in the Opening Season (Apertura). His outstanding performances attracted Colo-Colo in Chile, where, in 2014, the team won the Closing Tournament (Clausura). He spent four years in Chile before returning to Paraguay to conclude his career. He played for Nacional again from 2017 to 2018 before retiring.
Defenders:
Antolín Alcaraz was in his final season with Club Bruges in Belgium. From 2010 to 2013, he represented Wigan Athletic in England, securing the FA Cup in his final year. From 2013 to 2015, he remained in England with Everton. His final season in Europe was with UD Las Palmas in Spain in 2015–2016. Upon returning to Paraguay, he played nearly 100 matches for Club Libertad (2016–2019) and over 100 for Olimpia (2019–2023).
Claudio Morel was concluding a distinguished tenure with Boca Juniors. In 2008, he was named “Paraguayan Footballer of the Year” by the press. This led to a move to Europe with Deportivo La Coruña. After two years in Spain, he returned to Argentina, playing two years for Club Atlético Independiente. Between 2014 and 2018, Morel played for several clubs before retiring. Since 2021, he has been coaching within Boca Juniors’ youth academy.
Darío Verón served as a centre-back for UNAM in Mexico. From 2003 to 2017, he was a the rock of the team. In 2011, the Mexican Football Federation named Verón defender of the year. Known as El Hechicero (the Wizard), he played 533 matches for the Pumas before transferring to Paraguay to play for Olimpia during the final two seasons of his career.
After several years with Deportivo Toluca, Paulo da Silva spent a year at Sunderland in England. He then played with Real Zaragoza in Spain, and in 2012 returned to Mexico to join CF Pachuca. He spent his first year there and the next two on loan at Deportivo Toluca, amassing nearly 400 appearances for the club. From 2017 to 2020, he played for Club Libertad, winning the cup in 2019. From 2020 to 2024, he represented four different clubs before retiring.
Midfielders
Following a successful period with Cruz Azul, Cristian Riveros secured a contract with Sunderland in England. Struggling to establish himself, he moved to Kayserispor in Türkiye from 2011 to 2013. After two years with Grêmio Porto Alegre in Brazil (2013–2015), he returned to Paraguay and played 124 matches for Olimpia from 2015 to 2018. Riveros then spent two seasons with Club Libertad and two with Club Nacional. He concluded his career with a return to Libertad from 2022 to 2024.
Edgar Barreto was with Atalanta Bergamo in Italy, scoring two goals in 34 matches. From 2011 to 2015, he remained in Italy with Palermo, playing 125 matches and scoring seven goals. He spent another five years in Italy with Sampdoria, appearing in 110 matches and scoring five goals. He won the Italian Serie B with Bergamo in 2010–2011 and with Palermo in 2013–2014. Over time, he obtained Italian citizenship. He ended his career where he began in Europe, with NEC Nijmegen. Edgar Barreto continues to reside in the Netherlands with his family.
Born in Argentina in the 1980s to Paraguayan parents, Jonathan Santana chose to represent the Albirroja, debuting in 2007. In 2010, he was moving from VfL Wolfsburg in Germany to Kayserispor in Türkiye. After one and a half years, he returned to South America permanently. From 2012 to 2020, he played in Argentina for Belgrano, Independiente, and Sarmiento de Junín. And in Paraguay for Cerro Porteño, Club Sportivo Luqueño, Club Sportivo Trinidense, and Libertad. He concluded his career with Trinidense in 2020. In 2015, he won the Opening Season (Apertura) with Cerro Porteño.
Víctor Cáceres was with Club Libertad until 2012. In 2011, he declined an offer from Blackburn Rovers in England to remain with his formative club. From 2012 to 2015, he played for Flamengo in Brazil, winning the Brazil Cup (Copa do Brasil) in 2013. In 2015, he moved to Al-Rayyan in Qatar, where he won the Qatari Championship in 2016. In 2017, he returned to Paraguay to play for Cerro Porteño until 2020, winning the Paraguayan Cup (Copa Paraguay) in 2018. From 2020 to 2022, Cáceres played for several teams before retiring.
Attackers
At the time of Paraguay’s 2010 World Cup, Nelson Valdez – El Léon Guaraní – was playing with Borussia Dortmund and was one of the leaders of the team. In 2010–2011, Valdez was playing with Hércules C.F. in Alicante, Spain, scoring 8 goals. The next season he played with the Rubin Kazan in Russia, scoring 6 goals. After a year in Valence (9 goals), he moved to Al-Jazira. With the Abu Dhabi-based club, he scored 4 goals in 15 games before being loaned to Olympiakos in Greece. There, he added, 6 goals in 14 games. After a short stint with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany and with the Seattle Sounders in the U.S., he returned home. From 2017 to 2020, Valdez played for Cerro Porteño, adding 28 goals in 106 games.
After 2010, he won the Russian Cup (2012), the Russian SuperCup (2012), the Greek SuperLeague (2014), the Western Conference Champion (2016), the Major League Soccer Cup (2016), and two League’s Cup with Cerro (2017-20). He now works for Werden Bremen, one of his former clubs.
Óscar Cardozo was with Benfica in 2010 and stayed until 2014. He scored 172 goals in 293 games. With the Portuguese club, he was champion of Portugal in 2010 and 2014. The team also won the Portugal Cup in 2014. In 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014, he and the team won the League’s Cup. In 2011 and 2012, he was the best scorer of the league with 26 and 20 goals respectively.
After his glorious time in Portugal, Cardozo moved to Türkiye to play with Trabzonspor. He scored 28 goals in 66 games. In 2016–2017, he played with Olympiakos in Greece and scored 3 times in 34 games. He won the cup with them. Since 2017, he plays with Club Libertad and has won multiple trophies. At 42 years old, he now has 133 goals and counting in 341 games with the Paraguayan club. Just as Nelson Valdez, Cardozo was given the Domingo Martínez de Irala medal as well.
Substitutes playing versus Spain
Midfielder Enrique Vera is mostly known has a LDU Quito legend. He played with the team from 2006 to 2016, with brief stints in Mexico (Club América 2008-09 and CF Atlas 2010). With Quito, he won the 2008 Copa Libertadores and 2009 Copa Sudamericana. In 2017, Vera was briefly with Sportivo Luqueño and América de Quito, before retiring. Since 2024, he is the coach of Tacuary, in Paraguay.
Forward Lucas Barrios was born to an Argentinian father and a Paraguayan mother. In March 2010, El Pantera obtained his Paraguayan citizenship and was selected by the Albirroja for the World Cup. He was playing for Borussia Dortmund and stayed until 2012. In 2011, they won the Bundesliga and in 2012 they won it again, plus the German Cup. From there, Barrios moved to China to play for Guangzhou Evergrande. With the League’s Cup and China’s Cup in 2012, the strikers moved to Moscow to play for Spartak. While he was under contract for two years with the Russian team, he was loaned the second year with Montpellier HSC.
After his last stint in Europe, Barrios played in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina for eight clubs in seven years. He won the Brazil Cup in 2015 and Brazil Serie A in 2016. Barrios also won the Copa Libertadores in 2017 with Gremio. From 2022 to 2024, he played for Sportivo Trinidense and Sportivo Luqueño in Paraguay.
And last, but not least: the legendary Roque Santa Cruz. At the time, the attacker was with Manchester City, and put on loan to Blackburn (2011), Bétis Sévilla (2012), and Málaga (2013). At the end of his contract, he decided to stay with Málaga for another season. He split the 2015-16 season with them and Cruz Azul in Mexico. He then returned to Paraguay and played for Club Olimpia from 2016 to 2021. Since 2022, Roque Santa Cruz is playing for Club Libertad.
Roque Santa Cruz is still the player with the most goals for the Albirroja (32 goals in 112 games). Santa Cruz is one of the few football players who have goals in four different decades (90-00-10-20). He has won multiple trophies and championship with Olimpia and Libertad since coming back. He has as a song dedicated to him, Ich Roque, performed by Sportfreunde Stiller.
Paraguay’s 2010 World Cup coach
Gerardo Tata Martino is a coaching legend. He was the Albirroja’s head coach from 2007 to 2011. With the team. Martino coached Newell, his former club as a player, from 2012 to 2013. From 2013 to 2014, he coached FC Barcelona, where he got 40 wins in only 59 games. He followed with the Argentinian national team from 2014 to 2016. Tata Martino then got the call from Atlanta United in the MLS. From 2019 to 2022, he coached the Mexican national team, making him one of the few to have coached three different national teams. He concluded his managerial career with Inter Miami, returning to the MLS and coaching Lionel Messi once again, until 2024.
A new legacy
Now, as the road to 2026 unfolds, Paraguay waits with bated breath to see if a new generation can rise. To reignite Paraguay’s 2010 World Cup heroes historic spark, and carve their own legacy in World Cup history.
