Only five days after their thrilling and widely celebrated triumph over Uruguay, the Albirroja team faces a pivotal moment. This Tuesday, June 10, the Paraguayan national football team take on Brazil in an away match that could secure their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup! Competing in host countries USA, Canada, and Mexico next year would mark Paraguay’s first World Cup appearance in sixteen long years.
Acclaimed manager Gustavo Alfaro celebrated the team’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay as a huge step towards the 2026 World Cup. On Thursday evening at the iconic Estadio Ueno Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, the Albirroja came out on top after a challenging start, to clinch the win. The victory transformed cities across Paraguay into seas of red and white as fans celebrated in the streets.
“Grateful to Paraguay”
“We knew it was going to be a huge battle and I feel incredibly satisfied,” declared the Argentine manager, after the Albirroja victory, thanking Paraguay for its support at the stadium and in the country. “Defensores is our home. Our safe haven. I looked at the stadium and this sight will stay with me forever. I am grateful to Paraguay for their affection. Paraguayans are grateful, and that moves me. Thank you for making me feel like one of them,” Alfaro concluded.
Brazil coming up
Next up is Brazil, Tuesday night at the Neo Química Arena in São Paulo. The match is set to kick off at 9:45 PM. With a Paraguay win or draw, and Venezuela to lose its away match at Uruguay (kick off at 8:00 PM this same day), the Albirroja officially qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Also when Paraguay wins in Brazil and Venezuela draws in Montevideo, the red–white–blue triband will wave proudly after Paraguay then officially being qualified.
In South America, the World Cup qualifiers will award six direct spots to the top of the table, while the seventh-place team will have an additional opportunity by competing in an international playoff.
Venezuela, now on this playoff spot in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier standings, is six points behind Paraguay. With three matchdays remaining, this country is the opponent that could still challenge Paraguay.
Alfaro and the Albirroja looking ahead
“The closer you get to utopias, the further they become,” Alfaro said, looking ahead. “But then, utopias make you walk and move forward, and that’s where we are headed. If the 24 points that we have now will be enough in the end, will depend on the amount of points Venezuela gets. But against Brazil, we are going to try first. Always with humility.”
While the game against Uruguay was the first ever broadcast in Guaraní language, a different offer was made for games in the future. Arnaldo Casco Villalba, an important representative of the indigenous language, asked that the national anthem be sang in Guaraní, instead of Spanish. Something to consider for Paraguay.
Brazil, under the guidance of their new manager Carlo Ancelotti, drew 0-0 away to Ecuador last week in the Italian’s debut match. Earlier in this CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier Paraguay surprised with a 1-0 win over Brazil in Asunción.
