Paraguay beat Germany 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw, advanced to the 2026 World Cup round of 16, and had a national holiday declared by President Santiago Peña to celebrate the historic victory.
Miguel Almirón
Pytagua coverage mentioning Miguel Almirón.
Miguel Almirón was sent off at the 2026 World Cup for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey, while Jude Bellingham went unpunished for making the same gesture in a friendly exchange with Ghana, reigniting the debate over the enforcement of FIFA's rule aimed at preventing insults or discriminatory remarks from being concealed.
Zlatan Ibrahimović criticized the sending-off of Miguel Almirón under the "Vinícius Law" in the match between Paraguay and Turkey, calling the rule an overregulation, but praised the grit of La Albirroja, who played the second half with ten men and held on to the win.
Paraguay faces Turkey this Friday at midnight (Paraguay time) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara in a crucial Group D match of the 2026 World Cup, after losing 4-1 to the United States in their opener and needing a result to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Paraguay national team faces Nicaragua this Friday at 7:15 p.m. at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción in a farewell friendly ahead of the World Cup in North America, following a 16-year absence, with head coach Gustavo Alfaro defining the starting lineup and the goalkeeper position as the main unknown among Orlando Gill, Gatito Fernández, and Gastón Olveira.
Less than a month before the 2026 World Cup, the Paraguayan national team faces a series of injuries affecting key players, generating uncertainty in the final preparation.
One month before the 2026 World Cup, Paraguay celebrates Diego Gómez's confidence in his squad but worries about Omar Alderete's injury in the Premier League.