Paraguay will face France in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing a squad that blends grizzled veterans with remarkable tales of perseverance.
Goalkeepers forged through adversity
Between the posts, manager Miguel Russo faces a compelling selection dilemma. Orlando Gill was playing amateur football in 2018 and served as a back-up at San Lorenzo de Almagro as recently as last year. His ascent to the national team has been marked by profound personal sacrifice; his wife revealed that after his international debut against Peru in Lima, “Orlando sold some of his gear to cover costs [so that we could eat].” She added: “Our son was fighting for his life, and his father was always there for him.” Gill’s opportunity at club level arose only when San Lorenzo’s attempt to sign Keylor Navas collapsed due to financial difficulties, forcing Russo to turn to the nearly 2m-tall goalkeeper who has seized the chance.
Providing experienced cover is Roberto Fernández, widely known as “Gatito” (the Kitten). The squad’s oldest player and son of former Paraguay goalkeeper “El Gato,” Fernández fought back from a long-term knee injury that nearly ended his career, followed by a broken shoulder soon after his return. He recalled his darkest moments: “I used to go to Botafogo matches to watch my teammates. They would go onto the pitch and I would go to the bathroom to cry. I couldn’t cope with everything I was going through. I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.” He returned to the national team in 2024 after a four-year absence.
A defence built on resilience
Captain Gustavo Gómez anchors the backline after a 13-year quest to reach the tournament. Despite lifting two Copa Libertadores trophies with Palmeiras, the centre-back maintained that “I would trade all the titles in my career to play in a World Cup with Paraguay.” While many consider him South America’s finest defender, Gómez remains modest: “I go and do my best in training and on the pitch, and I left others talk about that.”
Junior Alonso offers versatility as a left-footed centre-back converted to left-back for the national team. Now playing in Brazil after spells with Lille, Krasnodar and Celta Vigo, Alonso’s mentality is captured in his own words: “I have lost more finals than I have won, I’ll cry in silence and tomorrow I’ll be back to work.”
Fabián Alderete, who moved to Sunderland in 2025, provides aerial dominance and a prodigious left foot. He scored the decisive goal in Paraguay’s 2-1 qualifying victory over Argentina and developed through the youth academy run by 1975 Copa América winner Pedro Fleitas, whom Alderete describes as “a great friend” who “helped me a lot.”
The naturalized guardian
Completing the defensive unit is Olveira, a Uruguayan by birth who became a naturalized Paraguayan citizen earlier this year after five years with Olimpia. He kept a clean sheet on his debut against Greece in March and admits he is still mastering the national anthem, having learned the words for his citizenship exam. “The dream of playing in a World Cup was always there,” he said, adding: “Playing for the national team can be a way of showing how grateful I am to the country.”
Against France, Paraguay will rely upon this collective spirit—forged through qualifying battles, personal loss and professional rejection—to extend their journey in the tournament.