Paraguay
Manager: Gustavo Alfaro
Quarter-finalists on their last appearance in South Africa 16 years ago, Paraguay have returned from the global footballing wilderness. Despite their cosmopolitan squad being based all over the planet, they appear to be a united group under Gustavo Alfaro, who guided the Guaranies on an eight-match unbeaten run that included wins over Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay after taking charge in 2024. Alfaro's approach is based on structure – Paraguay scored only 14 goals in 18 qualifiers but conceded just 10 times. If they can get something from their opening fixtures against USA and Turkey, their final match against Australia could be a qualification showdown.
