00:00The man leading Paraguay to the 2026 World Cup is the well-travelled Argentine Gustavo
00:06Alfaro.
00:07He coached Ecuador to Qatar 2022, when they narrowly failed to make the knockout phase
00:13following a late defeat to Senegal.
00:21Alfaro favours a 4-2-3-1 formation and has the luxury of selecting his squad from players
00:26plying their trade almost exclusively from bigger leagues outside Paraguay, with many
00:32in Argentina and Brazil.
00:38Miguel Almiron is among the headline names, and the dashing forward will be familiar with
00:44conditions in North America, having recently returned to Atlanta United for a second stint
00:49in MLS after showcasing his skills at Newcastle United.
00:56Gustavo Gomez will captain the side, and his leadership skills and combative nature have
01:01made him a hero at Palmeiras.
01:05The dribbling of emerging talent Julio Enciso could yet make him one of the tournament breakout
01:11stars.
01:14Paraguay will be ranked inside the top 40 in the world by FIFA when the 2026 World Cup
01:20kicks off, a significant turnaround from a 10-year low of 62nd as recently as July 2024.
01:30La Albi Roca are already guaranteed a spot at the 2030 World Cup as commemorative match hosts.
01:38These are exciting times to be a football fan in Paraguay.
01:43P
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