2026 World Cup | Who are France’s opponents, Paraguay?

2026 World Cup | Who are France’s opponents, Paraguay? France’s opponents in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are Paraguay. We look at the players that comprise their squad. Roberto Junior Fernández  Date of birth: March 29, 1988 Club: Cerro Porteño Position: Goalkeeper Junior by (middle) name, Paraguay’s oldest player by nature, Fernández is widely known as Gatito, the Kitten. His father, also Roberto Fernández, won 78 caps in goal for Paraguay and became El Gato. Both players also made more than 100 appearances for Cerro Porteño, the Asunción-based club where Fernández is currently in his second spell. He has fought his way back into the national team after a long-term knee injury almost ended his career: “I used to go to Botafogo matches to watch my teammates,” he recalled. “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.” Soon after he finally came back from that injury, he broke his shoulder. He returned to the Paraguay side in 2024 after a four-year absence and was a key part of the side that won qualification, though Orlando Gill has been preferred in recent friendlies. Gastón Olveira Date of birth: 21 April 1993 Club: Olimpia Position: Goalkeeper “The dream of playing in a World Cup was always there,” Olveira says. His dream might have involved playing for his native Uruguay, but he has grabbed with both hands the chance to play for Paraguay, which came when he became a naturalised citizen earlier this year, five years after joining Olimpia. “Playing for the national team can be a way of showing how grateful I am to the country,” he said. He was forced to learn the words to the national anthem for his naturalisation exam, but says he is still getting the hang of the tune. He did a pretty convincing job of singing it before his international debut, in Greece in March. Paraguay won that game, Olveira kept a clean sheet, and he showcased what was expected: calmness, confidence and reliability. He stands out for his reflexes and agility, and is a strong character always in communication with the defence. Orlando Daniel Gill Noldín Date of birth: June 11, 2000 Club: San Lorenzo de Almagro Position: Goalkeeper In 2018 Gill was playing amateur football and even last year he was a back-up goalkeeper for San Lorenzo de Almagro. This summer he is going to the World Cup. His career got off to a difficult start but the nearly 2m-tall goalkeeper has now seen most of his dreams come true. “Orlando sold some of his gear to cover costs [so that we could eat],” Gill’s wife said with tears in her eyes after he had made his international debut in the historic World Cup win for Paraguay against Peru in Lima. “Our son was fighting for his life, and his father was always there for him.” He was never trusted in domestic football back in Paraguay, hence the move to Argentina in 2024. He then had a stroke of luck. San Lorenzo were trying to sign Keylor Navas but ran into financial difficulties and with no new goalkeeper arriving Gill was given a chance by the manager, Miguel Russo. He impressed – and has been the No 1 ever since.  Omar Alderete Date of birth: 26  December 1996 Club:  Sunderland  Position: Defender With a prodigious left foot and a strong aerial game, coupled with a strong character and composure under pressure, Alderete has become an undisputed starter for Paraguay, playing every minute of every qualifier except the one he missed through injury – and he scored the winner in the 2-1 victory over Argentina. As a child he dreamed of being a forward but he is not known for his prowess in front of goal – Alderete’s great strength is in the art of defending. After coming through the soccer school run by Pedro Fleitas, who won the Copa América with Paraguay in 1975 and Alderete describes as “a great friend” who “helped me a lot”, he began his journey with Cerro Porteño in Paraguay. He has gone on to play in Argentina, Switzerland, Germany and Spain, and moved to Sunderland in 2025. Gustavo Gómez Date of birth: 6 May 1993 Club: Palmeiras Position: Defender “I would trade all the titles in my career to play in a World Cup with Paraguay,” Gustavo Gómez said after winning his second Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras. Despite lifting South America’s most important trophy as a captain, the Paraguayan defender’s heart could not find complete happiness. Being involved in a World Cup was his dream and his obsession, and after 13 years of trying Gómez finally got his reward. The captain of club and country, Gómez is considered by many to be the best defender in South America – although not by the player himself, who says that “I go and do my best in training and on the pitch, and I left others talk about that” – standing out for his leadership, his aerial prowess, and physical toughness. Junior Alonso Date of birth: 9 February 1993 Club: Atlético Mineiro Position: Defender A left-footed defender known for his total commitment, Alonso is also very versatile, a centre-back who has become the starting left-back for Paraguay. Decisive in big matches, not only with his defending, but also in attack. Alonso is synonymous with resilience, and there is a phrase that perfectly sums up his career: “I have lost more finals than I have won, I’ll cry in silence and tomorrow I’ll be back to work”, he said after losing a Copa Libertadores final. This has been a virtue: hard working, bringing precisely the same commitment, win or lose. Junior Alonso developed at Cerro Porteño, made the leap to Europe, playing for Lille, the Russian side Krasnodar and Celta Vigo, and today he is one of the best defenders in Brazilian football. Fabián Balbuena  Date of birth: 23 August 1991 Club: Grêmio Position: Defender “The General” is one of the oldest and most respected players of the Paraguayan national team, even though he has started more games on the bench than on the pitch. He is composed and eloquent when speaking to the press, but when he pulls on his kit he can be fiery. Balbuena offers leadership, composure, aggression, and a strong aerial game to the Albirroja’s defense. The former West Ham player’s love for the national team is not in doubt – to the extent that he chose to represent his country at the Paris Olympics even though it meant he would forego his salary for the duration.  “Every time I go away on international duty it feels like the first time,” he said in 2020. “Our intention is to qualify for the World Cup, but we have to be realistic. I don’t lose my mind if I don’t reach those things, but if I reach my goals, then that’s good. My philosophy is that if you do your job well, your prize will come.” Gustavo Velázquez Date of birth: 17 April 1991 Club: Cerro Porteño Position: Defender Velázquez’s emergence has been the most remarkable story in the recent history of the Paraguay team. Excluding a single game he spent on the bench in 2017, he was called up for the first time at 33 years of age, when most uncapped players have already given up on the idea of international honours. But he got a chance before the 2024 Copa América and impressed everyone from the first moment with his defensive qualities: aggression, speed, great vision, and a strong aerial game, despite his 1.79m height, and he has not been left out of a squad since. Velázquez is respected by his teammates and considered one of the leaders of the group, even if he is most often used as a substitute and he has admitted that “my performances have dropped a bit” during a difficult and injury-affected season for Cerro Porteño. Juan José Cáceres Date of birth: 1 June 2000 Club: Dynamo Moscow Position: Defender Another Argentina-born Paraguay international, Cáceres started in youth football as a goalkeeper, moved into midfield, progressed through the Boca Juniors youth system as a striker, and then changed positions again after they released him and he arranged a trial at Racing. “I talked to my friends and family and decided that I would try my luck as a defender – they had so many strikers,” he said. Racing liked what they saw and took him on; he made his debut at centre-back before shifting one last time, to right-back. His parents are both Paraguayan, and he was raised in the poor Buenos Aires district of Dock Sud – “It was a humble little house, made of corrugated iron,” he said. “When it rained the pipes would get clogged and water would start pouring in” – but he had spent his entire life in Argentina until he moved to play in Russia in 2025. Still, there was never any doubt about which nation he would play for. “I want to represent Paraguay because it would bring so much joy to my parents,” he said.  Andrés Cubas Date of birth: 22 May 1996 Club: Vancouver Whitecaps Position: Midfielder Cubas is often underestimated – which perhaps comes with being a 1.66m defensive midfielder – but when he is on the pitch he proves his value to everyone. He is Paraguay’s heart and lungs, running, jostling, winning back possession. This will not be his first World Cup – he played the Under-20 version in 2015 for Argentina, the land of his birth – but his true allegiance was always clear. “I was born in Argentina but since my father and all of his family were from Paraguay, I grew up with their customs,” he said. Cubas came through the youth system at Boca Juniors, making his debut at 17, and has since had spells in Italy, France and now Canada, having joined Vancouver in 2022. He missed Paraguay’s two friendlies last November because his passport was in the pocket of his trousers when they went in the wash, and was unusable (if clean) by the time it came out. Matías Galarza Date of birth: February 11, 2002 Club: Atlanta United Position: Midfielder Galarza’s grandfather, Arturo, was a legendary goalkeeper who was born in Paraguay but moved to Bolivia and played for both national teams in the 1960s and 70s. His father, Rolando, was born in Bolivia – where he played professional football, also as a goalkeeper, and moved to Paraguay. Finally, Matías was born in Paraguay and moved to Bolivia – his brother Lucas played for Bolivia’s Under-21s, in goal of course – before playing in Brazil, Argentina, where his mother comes from, and as of March in the USA, but he was always destined to play for the land of his birth. “His dream was always to play for Paraguay,” his father said. Known for his energy and a wonderful left foot, he has become one of the most popular squad members. Damián Bobadilla  Date of birth: 11 July 2001 Club: São Paulo Position: Midfielder One of two members of the squad whose father played in goal for Paraguay, Damián follows in the footsteps of Aldo, who made three appearances in the 2006 World Cup, including one as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat to England. He was only five when his dad was in Germany and can’t even remember it, but there are some blurry memories from South Africa 2010, although his father was on the bench the whole competition. “I always compare myself with him, try to achieve just a fraction of what he achieved in his career,” Damián says. “Whenever I have fallen, he has been there to pick me back up. I am who I am today thanks to him.” As a player and a person he is calm and clever, and he is considered one of the key pieces of the Albirroja jigsaw. Braian Ojeda Date of birth: 27 June 2000 Club: Orlando City Position: Midfielder “We’re not going just to make up the numbers,” Ojeda said in March. “We’re going to fight for the title.” He too is not just padding out Paraguay’s squad: five years after his first call-up he has become integral to the squad only since their qualification – his only appearance of the qualifying campaign came as a substitute in their final game, against Peru. A dynamic midfielder who assists at both ends of the pitch, he has risen to the challenge every time the team needed him, his commitment earning him a place in Gustavo Alfaro’s affections. A graduate of the Olimpia academy, where he astonished everybody with his great build-up play, he spent one disappointing season at Nottingham Forest in 2021-22, making just three appearances, before moving to the MLS, first at Real Salt Lake and since January for Orlando City. Diego Gómez Date of birth: 27 March 2003 Club: Brighton Position: Midfielder “I’m a warrior,” Gómez says. “I never give up on the ball. I always give everything.” He demonstrated his commitment to the game at a young age: just to watch his country in their last World Cup appearance, in 2010 when he was seven, he had to repeatedly climb onto the roof of his family’s home, in a remote area of San Juan Misiones where the TV signal was poor, to move the antenna. His family don’t live in a remote and ill-equipped house any more: in 2024 he built a mansion for his mother, complete with swimming pool. He was called into the international setup when he had made only seven senior club appearances and is an undisputed starter in Gustavo Alfaro’s team. He graduated from Libertad academy, improved at Inter Miami under the wings of Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, and now shines in the Premier League with Brighton. Gómez can play as a central midfielder, to the left or the right, as a pivot, as an attacking midfielder and even on either wing. Maurício  Date of birth: 22 June 2001 Club: Palmeiras Position: Midfielder Just five months ago, not only was Maurício not in the Paraguay team, he wasn’t even Paraguayan. He became a naturalised citizen in February thanks to a paternal grandparent and was fastracked into the squad, thanks in large part to the strong backing of Gustavo Gómez, his captain for club and now country, who went as far as helping him with his paperwork during the naturalisation process. His intelligence, technique and ability to be part of the build up make him precisely the kind of player Paraguay required. The left-footed midfielder graduated from Cruzeiro academy and currently plays for Palmeiras, where he can operate as a centre midfielder, winger and even second striker. Alejandro ‘Kaku’ Romero Date of birth: 11 January 1995 Club: Al-Ain  Position: Midfielder Five years have passed since Kaku moved from New York Red Bulls to Saudi Arabia, initially with Al Taawoun, since when he has practically circumnavigated the globe for each Paraguay game, often for just a few minutes on the pitch and sometimes not even that: of his first 55 international games he watched 22 from the bench and started only nine. When given a chance he demonstrated his class and an exquisite left foot, while never complaining about playing so little, despite all the travel time he endured. His positivity is always highlighted by everyone. He can play as a right offensive midfielder or as a more central playmaker. Although he was born in Argentina, he chose to represent the land of his mother’s birth. Gustavo Caballero Date of birth: 21 September 2001 Club: Portsmouth Position: Winger Caballero’s rise has been swift, but his feet are even swifter and it is the player’s remarkable speed that has propelled him into the national team, where he made his debut this year after a loan move to Portsmouth. “We need a game-changer,” said Gustavo Alfaro, “a player with that directness, that speed, that different gear at key moments.” Though he played for his country in the Paris Olympics Caballero made his full debut only in March, but a couple of friendly appearances – and a goal against Morocco in the second of them – cemented a place in the World Cup squad. As he said after moving to England: “I can play on the right or the left, and also up front, and want to bring goals and assists. I’m looking forward to bringing the fans some joy.” Ángel Romero Date of birth: 4 July 1992 Club: Boca Juniors Position: Forward Nearly 13 years after his international debut Romero is almost able to boast of being his family’s most successful footballer – his identical twin brother, the Hurácan midfielder Óscar Romero, still has a handful more caps even though he last played for his country in 2022. Óscar – thanks to his friendship with the club president, Juan Román Riquelme – played a crucial role in setting up Ángel’s move to Boca Juniors, one of his former clubs, in January and his form for the Argentinian club propelled him back into the Paraguay squad. Naturally the brothers always dreamt of playing the World Cup together, and both moved to Argentina in January to push their case – “We have a goal, to be in the World Cup squad, and we want to play in a competitive league,” Óscar said – but only one of them made it, with Ángel’s ability to play either as a winger or a second striker giving him the edge. Ramón Sosa Date of birth: 31 Aug 1999 Club: Palmeiras Position: Forward Until 2019 Sosa had played only in lower tier football, but his talent flourished after the pandemic, much of which he spent locked down at the training ground of Paraguayan club River Plate. “It was a terrible time,” he said. “When the pandemic hit most people left, and I ended up staying there with a teammate. Nobody could come in and nobody could go out, it was just us two, training by ourselves. A big training ground with just two of us there.” The practice did him good, though, and by 2022 he was playing for Olimpia, Paraguay’s biggest club, and for the national team, winning over fans with his speed and dribbling ability, and by speaking in the country’s indigenous language, Guaraní. He dreamed of playing in the Premier League and in 2024 he signed for Nottingham Forest, where a troubled spell lasted just one season and featured one league start. He has since become a star at Palmeiras in Brazil. Last year Sosa was named by his international teammate Julio Enciso as the worst-dressed member of Paraguay’s squad. Gabriel Ávalos  Date of birth: 12 Oct 1990 Club: Independiente de Avellaneda Position: Forward When Ávalos joined Independiente in 2024, at the age of 32, he declared that he was “at the peak of my career”. As it turned out, he had a bit further to rise, and this year he has been in the form of his life. Ávalos played in his homeland for only two seasons before taking a tour of South America, starting in the second division and rising eventually to spend three years with Argentinos Juniors and finally earn the move to Independiente. Since his international debut in 2021 he has had several runs in the team interspersed with long periods out of it but his form this year meant Gustavo Alfaro could not ignore him. Ávalos is not known for having great technical qualities, but he is an opportunist inside the penalty area and an aerial play expert. Álex Arce Date of birth: June 16, 1995 Club Independiente de Rivadavia Position: Forward A cruciate ligament injury almost ended Arce’s career when it had only just begun, and when he finally fought his way back he did not seem the same, and he dropped into the amateur leagues. When the pandemic hit the league was suspended and Arce, who as a youth at Cerro Porteno earned the nickname Kanu because of he played like the Nigerian forward, made ends meet by selling the handcrafted hammocks famously made by artisans in his hometown, Carapeguá. But then, an extraordinary turnaround. He was signed by the Asunción club Ameliano, and from there by Independiente Rivadavia in the Argentinian second division, where he scored 28 goals in 37 matches as they secured promotion. That earned him another move to another country, with Ecuador’s Liga de Quito, but after a single season he returned to Rivadavia last summer, where he has continued to demonstrate his goalscoring instinct, aerial ability and link-up skills. Julio Enciso  Date of birth: 23 January 2004 Club: Racing Strasbourg Position: Forward “Dear grandpa, I dedicate this to you in heaven with all my heart. I always remember when you pointed at me and told me that one day I would be there,” Enciso wrote emotionally, as Paraguay sealed their return to the World Cup. Enciso made the promise to become a professional player to save his family from poverty. He pledged to play for his country – he was only 17 when that was ticked off – and promised that his grandfather would see him playing in a World Cup. That second promise was not to be, as his grandfather passed away before Julio had played for his country. He made his debut at Libertad in the Paraguayan first division aged only 15 and moved to Europe at 18, signing for Brighton. He joined Strasbourg last summer, and is now established as Paraguay’s top attacker, offering flair, dribbling, assists and goals. Miguel Almirón Date of birth: 10 February 1994 Club: Atlanta United Position: Winger World Cup qualification was, Almirón says, “one of the greatest achievements of my career, what I always dreamed of as a child”. But success at international level did not come easily to Almirón, and it is only since the arrival of Gustavo Alfaro that he has regularly shown the extent of his talents. Until the Argentinian coach arrived, Almirón was the subject of near-constant criticism from the fans, despite his success in the Premier League with Newcastle. “At one point, I thought about retiring from international football, I thought it wasn’t for me, that I had to give the chance to someone else,” Miggy, as he is known, admitted. Almirón stands out for his speed and intensity, and for being a great leader of counter attacks. He doesn’t score many goals, but he offers tactical discipline. This is a piece from Christian Perez for VS Sports as part of the Guardian Sports Network GFFN  | Luke Entwistle