DistantNews
Support us
Paraguay's Lineup to Face the United States
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡พ Paraguay /Sports

Paraguay's Lineup to Face the United States

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Paraguay will debut in the 2026 World Cup against host nation USA in Los Angeles.
  • Coach Gustavo Alfaro has finalized the team lineup after resolving doubts about the goalkeeper and Julio Enciso's replacement.
  • Paraguay returns to the World Cup stage after a 16-year absence.

Paraguay is set to make its return to the FIFA World Cup stage after a 16-year hiatus, kicking off its 2026 campaign against the host nation, the United States, in Los Angeles. The match is scheduled for 10:00 PM local time, marking a significant moment for the "Albirroja."

Head coach Gustavo Alfaro has confirmed that the team's lineup is set, despite having initially kept some positions under wraps. He assured that there were "no mysteries" regarding his selection. While he preferred to communicate the final decisions to the players first, he indicated that the starting eleven was decided prior to the pre-match team talk.

I am going to finalize the team and communicate it to the players in the technical talk before the match.

โ€” Gustavo AlfaroParaguay's national team coach Gustavo Alfaro spoke about his process for finalizing the lineup.

Key decisions involved the goalkeeper position and who would fill in for the injured Julio Enciso. Orlando Gill has been chosen to start in goal. In a surprising turn, Libertad youth player Julio Enciso, who had raised concerns after suffering a muscle injury in a friendly match against Nicaragua, trained normally and has been confirmed as a starter. He participated fully in the team's final training sessions, including a practice match.

The confirmed starting lineup for Paraguay against the United States is: Orlando Gill; Juan Cรกceres, Gustavo Gรณmez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Diego Gรณmez, Andrรฉs Cubas, Damiรกn Bobadilla, Miguel Almirรณn; Julio Enciso, and Antonio Sanabria. This lineup represents Paraguay's best effort as they aim to make a strong impression in their World Cup return.

Obviously, I have the eleven defined, I am waiting for the Julio [Enciso] issue and some details.

โ€” Gustavo AlfaroParaguay's national team coach Gustavo Alfaro discussed the team's lineup decisions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.