Paraguay — 2026 World Cup Squad

Begin at the back, because that is where Paraguay begins. Gustavo Gómez does not so much defend as govern: the Palmeiras captain reads danger a beat early, organises a beat earlier still, and leaves attackers wrestling shadows. Beside him sits Júnior Alonso of Atlético Mineiro, all elbows and refusal, while Omar Alderete brings something rarer for a centre-half this combative, a willingness to step out and pass. His move to Sunderland and the Premier League has only sharpened the edges.

Going forward, the threat is direct rather than decorative. Miguel Almirón still runs like a man chasing a bus, turning a hopeful clearance into a sprint at goal, and the Palmeiras pair of Ramón Sosa and Maurício give the side legs and ideas in equal measure, one carrying the ball wide, the other knitting things together in midfield.

None of it is pretty, and none of it pretends to be. Paraguay have spent over a decade locked out of this stage, and this group plays with the patience of people who remember the exile. Sit deep, stay compact, wait. Then punish.