00:05It's also so Los Guaranes returned to the World Cup Finals for the World Cup.
00:062025 was a significant year for Paraguayan football.
00:11FIFA hosted its 75th annual conference in Asuncion,
00:16bringing the world of football to the landlocked nation,
00:19surrounded by Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia.
00:26It's also so Los Guaranes returned to the World Cup Finals for the first time since 2010.
00:35Paraguay finished in the sixth and final Conmebol qualification spot,
00:39but in an even contest they ended just one point behind second place Ecuador.
00:46And it was a 0-0 draw against the Ecuadorians that sealed passage to North America,
00:51and sent fans spilling onto the streets in celebration.
00:59Today the players gave their all and they were rewarded.
01:03Obviously we would have liked to have won the game,
01:06we would have liked to have picked up a victory,
01:08but when you look at the development of the competition,
01:11the level of opposition that we faced, the places we had to play in,
01:15and the competitive level that we reached,
01:17we know that what we've achieved, we've achieved on our own merit.
01:26The truth is, I thought the game was spectacular.
01:29We played well, even though we were a little fatigued in the second half.
01:33The truth is, we put in a lot of effort and for the World Cup,
01:35we're going to take it all on and win that trophy.
01:41I hope this night lasts long, that the whole country enjoys it,
01:45that the fans enjoy it, that the players enjoy it, that we enjoy it.
01:50Football is a collection of sufferings.
01:52There are very few moments that one gets to enjoy,
01:55but there are many that one has to suffer.
01:58Because I have the good fortune of going to a World Cup,
02:01and with a different team, I can't quite get to grips with it.
02:15Paraguay earned just one point from their first three matches,
02:18but came home strongly to leave fans dreaming of a repeat of 2010,
02:23when their side made the quarter-finals.
02:27Last time, we went out in the quarter-finals,
02:29so hopefully we can reach the semi-finals or the final,
02:33and then Paraguay will explode.
02:35But we'll always be here supporting Paraguay.
02:39Paraguay's ninth visit to the World Cup comes 96 years after their first.
02:44At the inaugural tournament in Uruguay, they defeated Belgium 1-0,
02:48but went home early after succumbing to the competition's first hat-trick,
02:52scored by the USA's Bert Patenord.
02:57Paraguay have lifted the Copa America twice, in 1953 and 1979.
03:04But their most significant era on the international stage
03:07came when they qualified for four consecutive World Cuts from 1998 to 2010,
03:14culminating in a quarter-final finish in South Africa.
03:18That team was coached by the well-travelled Gerardo Martino,
03:22and dominated by the man who redefined goalkeeping,
03:26Jose Luis Chilaver.
03:29Chilaver was a brilliant keeper, especially at France 98,
03:33but he was also much more, regularly striding downfield to take free kicks and penalties,
03:39finding the back of the net 67 times during his professional career,
03:44including eight for La Albi Roca.
03:49The pioneers like me, the ones that start to do things well before other people,
03:53are sometimes regarded as crazy or arrogant.
03:56And I loved it really, because it was a way to make myself noticed.
04:00I gave another dimension to the position of goalkeeper.
04:04I made it important.
04:06Until that time, a goalkeeper was just someone who stood between the posts
04:09and always stayed within the penalty area.
04:13I changed all that.
04:14I took penalties, free kicks and more.
04:17These days, many keepers play that way, but I started it.
04:22The man leading Paraguay to the 2026 World Cup
04:25is the well-travelled Argentine Gustavo Alfaro.
04:29He coached Ecuador to Qatar 2022,
04:32when they narrowly failed to make the knockout phase following a late defeat to Senegal.
04:43Alfaro favours a 4-2-3-1 formation
04:45and has the luxury of selecting his squad from players plying their trade almost exclusively from bigger leagues outside Paraguay,
04:53with many in Argentina and Brazil.
05:00Miguel Almiron is among the headline names.
05:03The dashing forward will be familiar with conditions in North America,
05:07having recently returned to Atlanta United for a second stint in MLS
05:12after showcasing his skills at Newcastle United.
05:18Gustavo Gomez will captain the side,
05:20and his leadership skills and combative nature have made him a hero at Palmeiras.
05:27The dribbling of emerging talent Julio Enciso could yet make him one of the tournament's breakout stars.
05:36In the meantime, he will be ranked in the top 40 in the world by FIFA
05:40when the 2026 World Cup kicks off.
05:42A significant turnaround from a ten-year low of 62nd, as recently as July 2024.
05:48D-Caadal 1, 2014
05:49C-NAS-04
05:49D-Ca-R
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