Miguel Almirón scored twice, while Gastón Olveira saved a penalty and other shots in Paraguay’s 2-0 win over Bolivia in Washington, after changes by Paraguay reduced its dominance and opened up chances for both teams late in the game.
Selección Paraguaya
Pytagua coverage mentioning Selección Paraguaya.
Robert Harrison confirmed Gustavo Alfaro will remain with the Paraguayan national team through the 2030 World Cup after the coach took La Albirroja back to the 2026 tournament, 16 years later, with the documents due to be signed when he returns on Monday.
Digitalization, used by about 85% of Paraguay’s population in 2025, is driving e-commerce, fintech, digital wallets, QR payments and online betting, while virtual transactions are expected to exceed 40 million in 2026.
The Paraguayan national team will face Bolivia, led by Óscar Villegas, and Colombia, managed by Néstor Lorenzo, in friendlies in the U.S. in September, while working on renewing coach Gustavo Alfaro's contract.
The Paraguayan Authors Association is investigating the irregular registration of more than one hundred national songs with a US rights management entity, while a Paraguayan producer celebrates a royalty agreement with Shakira and the success of his songs.
Paraguay’s Senate is investigating the blocking of a video of its session on YouTube. Copyright infringement involving FIFA footage is the leading hypothesis, but the reason has not been confirmed; the content remains available on the Senate’s institutional website and Facebook page.
After his standout performance at the World Cup, Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill was cheered during a visit to a school in Asunción and has attracted interest from European clubs, with negotiations underway.
A debate in Paraguay's Senate about comments made by Senator Celeste Amarilla and player Kylian Mbappé, which revealed political divisions, had its YouTube broadcast blocked due to a copyright claim from FIFA.
The French Football Federation (FFF) filed a racism complaint against Paraguayan Senator Celeste Amarilla for her comments about Kylian Mbappé, sparking a diplomatic crisis that led the Paraguayan president to apologize to France and prompted widespread political condemnation of the attacks within the country.
German journalist Jonas Friedrich, who had called the Paraguayan national team "third-rate" before being eliminated by them, published a message of support for La Albirroja ahead of their Round of 16 match against France in the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 school winter break in Paraguay will remain scheduled from July 13 to 24, with no changes despite the World Cup, after the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) concluded that the Paraguayan national team's night matches did not interfere with classes, and the tournament's key decisions will coincide exactly with the recess period.
President Santiago Peña ruled out declaring a holiday on Friday, the 26th, for the Albirroja's match against Australia, scheduled to start at 11 p.m. on Thursday and end in the early hours, but said he is still considering the possibility of holidays if the team advances in the competition.
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 Chamber of Deputies rejected on Tuesday two requests for information addressed to President Santiago Peña — one regarding the expenses of his trip to the United States to attend the Albirroja's debut at the 2026 World Cup, and another concerning the Comptroller General's review of correspondence that validated the 2,400% increase in the president's assets over six years.
The prices of asado cuts in Paraguay have practically tripled since 2010, while the minimum wage has barely doubled over the same period, highlighting a significant loss of purchasing power for Paraguayan families.
Asunción organizes the "El Centro Alienta" celebration to welcome up to 50,000 fans in the historic center for the Paraguayan National Team’s debut at the 2026 World Cup, with security and infrastructure plans in place for the event.
The Municipality of Asunción has launched the "World Cup Discount" campaign, offering up to 100% exemptions on fines and interest, 10% discounts for lump-sum payments, and installment plans of up to six payments without interest for taxpayers who settle their debts with the municipality by June 30, including a daily raffle for official Paraguay national team jerseys.
The corridors of Paraguay's National Congress stood empty on Wednesday, the eve of a public holiday and the Albirroja's World Cup opener, reigniting debate over high absenteeism in the legislature, which allows up to 30 days of annual leave for personal reasons with minimal justification.
Workers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles have approved a strike that could begin before Paraguay's World Cup 2026 debut against the United States, demanding better wages, a contract, and raising concerns over ICE immigration enforcement during the tournament.
FIFA has confirmed Dutch referee Danny Makkelie to officiate Paraguay's opening match against the United States at the 2026 World Cup on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
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.
Paraguayan forward Isidro Pitta has been confirmed as the 26th and final player on La Albirroja's definitive squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, following a strong first half of the year at Bragantino, where he recorded nine goals and five assists in 28 matches.
The Paraguayan national team's qualification for the 2026 World Cup is boosting tourism and consumption in the country, with around 2,000 Paraguayans traveling to the United States on unprecedented charter flights, while sectors such as food, beverages, meat, and retail are bracing for a sharp surge in sales during the Albirroja's matches.