Robert Harrison, president of the Paraguayan Football Association (APF), announced on September 11, 2026, that Gustavo Alfaro will continue as coach of the Paraguayan national team through the end of the 2030 World Cup. In a social media post, Harrison appeared alongside the coach holding a shirt bearing the number 2030 and wrote: “2030, here we come.”
The agreement was still to be formalized with the signing of the documents when Alfaro returned to Paraguay, scheduled for Monday. The Argentine coach, known as “Cazador de Utopías” (“Hunter of Utopias”), was also expected to fine-tune the squad list for the next international fixtures.
Alfaro officially took charge of the team on August 16, 2024. Since then, he has recorded 11 wins, seven draws and six defeats on the national-team bench. Under his direction, La Albirroja returned to the World Cup 16 years later by securing qualification for the 2026 edition.
Negotiations over the renewal covered financial terms as well as logistical and organizational requests put forward by the coach. The work plan associated with Alfaro’s conditions provides for long-term methods across the APF’s different age groups, in addition to preparing the senior team, with a focus on building a competitive national side.
The immediate schedule includes two friendlies in the United States: against Bolivia on September 27 in Washington and against Colombia on October 3 in the state of New Jersey. The matches will be used for assessment ahead of the next official competitions, while the coaching staff finalizes the call-up of players based abroad.
### The context of the 2030 World Cup
The APF is now projecting the national team’s work through the 2030 World Cup, a tournament for which sources highlight Alfaro’s role in building an extended cycle. Harrison’s original post can be viewed on the APF president’s official X profile.