The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.
Paraguay have appeared in the finals of the World Cup on eight occasions, the first being at the very first finals in 1930, where they finished in 9th position. Their last participation in the tournament was in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
| FIFA World Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | |||||||
| Group stage | 9th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Did not enter | |||||||||
 1938 | |||||||||
| Group stage | 11th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Did not qualify | |||||||||
| Group stage | 12th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 | ||
| Did not qualify | |||||||||
| 1966 | |||||||||
 1970 | |||||||||
| 1974 | |||||||||
 1978 | |||||||||
 1982 | |||||||||
| Round of 16 | 13th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Did not qualify | |||||||||
 1994 | |||||||||
| Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 16th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |||
| Group stage | 18th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Did not qualify | |||||||||
| 2018 | |||||||||
 2022 | |||||||||
 2026 | To be determined | ||||||||
  2030 | Qualified as centenary co-host | ||||||||
 2034 | To be determined | ||||||||
| Total | Quarter-finals | 9/25 | 27 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 30 | 38 | |
| width=80 | World Cup | width=90 | Round | width=150 | Opponent | width=70 | Score | width=50 | Result | width=100 | Venue | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Group 4 | 0–3 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Montevideo | |||||||
| 1–0 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Montevideo | L. Peña | ||||||||
| 1950 | Group 3 | 2–2 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Curitiba | A. López, C. López Fretes | ||||||
| 0–2 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | São Paulo | |||||||||
| 1958 | Group 2 | 3–7 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Norrköping | F. Amarilla (2), J. Romero | ||||||
| 3–2 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Norrköping | J. Agüero, C. Ré, J. Parodi | ||||||||
| 3–3 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Eskilstuna | J. Parodi, J. Agüero, J. Romero | ||||||||
| 1986 | Group B | 1–0 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Toluca | Romerito | ||||||
| 1–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Mexico City | Romerito | ||||||||
| 2–2 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Toluca | R. Cabañas (2) | ||||||||
| 0–3 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Mexico City | |||||||||
| 1998 | Group D | 0–0 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Montpellier | |||||||
| 0–0 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Saint-Étienne | |||||||||
| 3–1 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Toulouse | C. Ayala, M. Benítez, J. Cardozo | ||||||||
| align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Lens | ||||||||||
| 2002 | Group B | 2–2 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Busan | R. Santa Cruz, F. Arce | ||||||
| 1–3 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Jeonju | C. Puyol (o.g.) | ||||||||
| 3–1 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Seogwipo | N. Cuevas (2), J. Campos | ||||||||
| 0–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Seogwipo | |||||||||
| 2006 | Group B | 0–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Frankfurt | |||||||
| 0–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Berlin | |||||||||
| 2–0 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Kaiserslautern | B. Sancho (o.g.), N. Cuevas | ||||||||
| 2010 | Group F | 1–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Cape Town | A. Alcaraz | ||||||
| 2–0 | align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb" | W | Bloemfontein | E. Vera, C. Riveros | ||||||||
| 0–0 | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Polokwane | |||||||||
| Round of 16 | 0–0 (5–3 pen.) | align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb" | D | Pretoria | ||||||||
| Quarter-finals | 0–1 | align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | L | Johannesburg | ||||||||
| FIFA World Cup matches (by team) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Wins | Draws | Losses | Total | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
Paraguay competed at three World Cups by 1958, and after a long gap they re-appeared in 1986. Later, they achieved a streak of four participations: South Africa 2010 was Paraguay's fourth consecutive trip to the World Cup final tournament, having previously qualified for the final in 1998, 2002 and 2006. After a poor qualifying campaign, however, Paraguay failed to qualify for the tournament in 2014, missing out on the chance to play in a World Cup hosted on their own continent, in Brazil. Three times they survived the first round of the international football tournament, with the highlight being in 2010 where they reached the quarter-finals.
UNITED STATES: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Jimmy Douglas | ||
| DF | 2 | Alexander Wood | ||
| MF | 3 | Andy Auld | ||
| FW | 4 | Bart McGhee | ||
| FW | 5 | Bert Patenaude | ||
| MF | 6 | Billy Gonsalves | ||
| DF | 7 | George Moorhouse | ||
| MF | 8 | Jim Brown | ||
| DF | 9 | Jimmy Gallagher | ||
| DF | 10 | Raphael Tracey | ||
| FW | 11 | Tom Florie (c) | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| Robert Millar | ||||
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Modesto Denis | ||
| FW | 2 | Aurelio González | ||
| FW | 3 | Delfín Benítez Cáceres | ||
| FW | 4 | Diógenes Domínguez | ||
| MF | 5 | Eusebio Díaz | ||
| MF | 6 | Francisco Aguirre | ||
| DF | 7 | José Miracca | ||
| FW | 8 | Lino Nessi | ||
| FW | 9 | Luis Vargas Peña (c) | ||
| DF | 10 | Quiterio Olmedo | ||
| MF | 11 | Romildo Etcheverry | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| José Durand Laguna | ||||
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Pedro Benítez | ||
| FW | 2 | Aurelio González | ||
| FW | 3 | Delfín Benítez Cáceres | ||
| MF | 4 | Eusebio Díaz | ||
| FW | 5 | Gerardo Romero | ||
| FW | 6 | Lino Nessi | ||
| FW | 7 | Luis Vargas Peña (c) | ||
| DF | 8 | Quiterio Olmedo | ||
| DF | 9 | Salvador Flores | ||
| MF | 10 | Santiago Benítez | ||
| MF | 11 | Tranquilino Garcete | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| José Durand Laguna | ||||
 BELGIUM: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Arnold Badjou | ||
| MF | 2 | August Hellemans | ||
| FW | 3 | Ferdinand Adams | ||
| FW | 4 | Gérard Delbeke | ||
| DF | 5 | Henri De Deken | ||
| FW | 6 | Jacques Moeschal | ||
| FW | 7 | Jan Diddens | ||
| FW | 8 | Louis Versyp | ||
| DF | 9 | Nic Hoydonckx | ||
| MF | 10 | Pierre Braine (c) | ||
| DF | 11 | Theodore Nouwens | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| Hector Goetinck | ||||
See main article: article and 1950 FIFA World Cup. In their return to the World Cup, Paraguay faced Sweden and Italy in Group 3. Paraguay failed to advance to the next round after a 2–2 draw against Sweden and a 2–0 loss against Italy.
----
See main article: article and 1958 FIFA World Cup. For the 1958 World Cup, Paraguay surprisingly qualified ahead of Uruguay (beating them 5–0 in the decisive game) with a team that contained a formidable attacking lineup with stars such as Juan Bautista Agüero, José Parodi, Juan Romero, Cayetano Ré and Florencio Amarilla. In their first game in Sweden, Paraguay were 3–2 up against France in a game they lost 7–3. A 3–2 win over Scotland and a 3–3 draw with Yugoslavia saw Paraguay finish third in their group.--------
See main article: article and 1986 FIFA World Cup. Paraguay ended a 28-year absence from the World Cup in 1986 with a team starring Roberto Fernández in goal; Cesar Zabala, Rogelio Delgado and Juan Bautista Torales in defense; Jorge Amado Nunes and Vladimiro Schettina in midfield; midfield playmaker Julio César Romero and strikers Roberto Cabañas, Ramón Hicks and Rolando Chilavert (older brother of José Luis Chilavert). In first round matches, Paraguay defeated Iraq (1–0, goal Romerito) and then tied Mexico (1–1, goal Romerito) and Belgium (2–2, both goals Roberto Cabañas). They reached the second round where they were beaten 3–0 by England.[1]
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| DF | 2 | Juan Torales | ||
| DF | 3 | César Zabala | ||
| DF | 4 | |||
| DF | 5 | Rogelio Delgado (c) | ||
| MF | 6 | Jorge Amado Nunes | ||
| MF | 10 | Adolfino Cañete | ||
| MF | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira | ||
| FW | 11 | |||
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 16 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cayetano Ré | ||||
 IRAQ: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Raad Hammoudi Salman (c) | ||
| DF | 3 | Khalil Mohammed Allawi | ||
| DF | 4 | Nadhim Shaker Salim | ||
| DF | 5 | |||
| DF | 15 | Natiq Hashim Abidoun | ||
| DF | 22 | Ghanim Oraibi Jassim | ||
| MF | 6 | Ali Hussein Shihab | ||
| MF | 7 | |||
| MF | 14 | |||
| FW | 10 | Hussein Saeed Mohammed | ||
| FW | 8 | Ahmad Radhi Amaiesh | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 11 | |||
| MF | 19 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Evaristo de Macedo | ||||
MEXICO: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Pablo Larios | ||
| DF | 2 | |||
| DF | 3 | Fernando Quirarte | ||
| DF | 14 | Félix Cruz | ||
| DF | 17 | Raúl Servín | ||
| MF | 16 | Carlos Muñoz | ||
| MF | 10 | Tomás Boy (c) | ||
| MF | 13 | Javier Aguirre | ||
| FW | 22 | |||
| FW | 15 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 7 | |||
| FW | 5 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bora Milutinović | ||||
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| DF | 2 | |||
| DF | 3 | César Zabala | ||
| DF | 4 | |||
| DF | 5 | Rogelio Delgado (c) | ||
| MF | 6 | Jorge Amado Nunes | ||
| MF | 10 | Adolfino Cañete | ||
| MF | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira | ||
| FW | 11 | |||
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 16 | |||
| FW | 20 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cayetano Ré | ||||
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| DF | 2 | Juan Torales | ||
| DF | 3 | César Zabala | ||
| DF | 5 | Rogelio Delgado (c) | ||
| MF | 16 | Jorge Guasch | ||
| MF | 6 | Jorge Amado Nunes | ||
| MF | 10 | Adolfino Cañete | ||
| MF | 8 | |||
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira | ||
| FW | 11 | |||
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 20 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cayetano Ré | ||||
BELGIUM: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Jean-Marie Pfaff | ||
| DF | 5 | Michel Renquin | ||
| DF | 19 | Hugo Broos | ||
| DF | 13 | |||
| MF | 21 | Stéphane Demol | ||
| MF | 6 | Franky Vercauteren | ||
| MF | 22 | Patrick Vervoort | ||
| MF | 8 | Enzo Scifo | ||
| MF | 11 | Jan Ceulemans (c) | ||
| FW | 16 | Nico Claesen | ||
| FW | 18 | Daniel Veyt | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 3 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Guy Thys | ||||
ENGLAND: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Peter Shilton (c) | ||
| DF | 2 | Gary M. Stevens | ||
| DF | 3 | Kenny Sansom | ||
| DF | 5 | |||
| DF | 6 | Terry Butcher | ||
| MF | 16 | |||
| MF | 4 | Glenn Hoddle | ||
| MF | 17 | Trevor Steven | ||
| MF | 18 | |||
| FW | 20 | |||
| FW | 10 | Gary Lineker | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 15 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bobby Robson | ||||
PARAGUAY: | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández | ||
| DF | 2 | |||
| DF | 3 | César Zabala | ||
| DF | 4 | Vladimiro Schettina | ||
| DF | 5 | Rogelio Delgado (c) | ||
| MF | 6 | |||
| MF | 10 | Adolfino Cañete | ||
| MF | 8 | Julio César Romero | ||
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira | ||
| FW | 11 | Alfredo Mendoza | ||
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 16 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cayetano Ré | ||||
See main article: article and 1998 FIFA World Cup. A new generation of players helped end the World Cup drought in grand fashion, as the Albirroja reached the 1998 World Cup in France by qualifying in second place in South America, behind Argentina. The first round matches were against Bulgaria (0–0), Spain (0–0), and Nigeria (3–1; goals Celso Ayala, Miguel Ángel Benítez and José Cardozo). Paraguay qualified to the second round (round of 16) to be defeated in a thrilling match against hosts and eventual World Champions France. France only scored through Laurent Blanc in the 114th minute, during the second half of overtime (making it the first golden goal scored in a World Cup). Paraguay's central defending duo (Carlos Gamarra and Celso Ayala) and goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert were selected for the all-star World Cup team.
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| DF | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| FW | 9 | |||
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña | ||
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia | ||
| MF | 13 | Carlos Paredes | ||
| FW | 15 | |||
| MF | 16 | Julio Cesar Enciso | ||
| MF | 19 | |||
| MF | 21 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 20 | |||
| FW | 18 | |||
| MF | 7 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
 Paulo César Carpegiani | ||||
| GK | 1 | Zdravko Zdravkov | ||
| DF | 2 | Radostin Kishishev | ||
| DF | 3 | Trifon Ivanov (c) | ||
| DF | 4 | Ivaylo Petkov | ||
| MF | 5 | Ivaylo Yordanov | ||
| MF | 6 | Zlatko Yankov | ||
| FW | 8 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| MF | 10 | Krassimir Balakov | ||
| MF | 11 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 7 | |||
| MF | 18 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Hristo Bonev | ||||
Achmat Salie (South Africa)
Hussain Ghadanfari (Kuwait)
Fourth official
| GK | 1 | Andoni Zubizarreta (c) | ||
| RB | 15 | Juan Carlos Aguilera | ||
| CB | 5 | |||
| CB | 4 | Rafael Alkorta | ||
| LB | 12 | |||
| RM | 17 | Joseba Etxeberria | ||
| CM | 6 | Fernando Hierro | ||
| CM | 18 | Guillermo Amor | ||
| LM | 21 | Luis Enrique | ||
| CF | 9 | |||
| CF | 10 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 7 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| FW | 19 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Javier Clemente | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| DF | 2 | |||
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| DF | 5 | |||
| FW | 8 | |||
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña | ||
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia | ||
| FW | 15 | Miguel Benítez | ||
| MF | 16 | |||
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza | ||
| MF | 21 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 13 | |||
| MF | 7 | |||
| FW | 18 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Paulo César Carpegiani | ||||
Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)
Owen Powell (Jamaica)
Fourth official
Esse Baharmast (United States)
| GK | 1 | Peter Rufai (c) | ||
| FW | 4 | Nwankwo Kanu | ||
| DF | 6 | Taribo West | ||
| FW | 9 | Rasheed Yekini | ||
| MF | 11 | Garba Lawal | ||
| MF | 13 | Tijani Babangida | ||
| MF | 15 | |||
| DF | 16 | Uche Okafor | ||
| DF | 17 | |||
| MF | 18 | |||
| DF | 19 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 21 | |||
| MF | 7 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bora Milutinović | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| DF | 2 | Francisco Arce | ||
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| DF | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| FW | 9 | José Cardozo | ||
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia | ||
| MF | 13 | Carlos Paredes | ||
| FW | 15 | |||
| MF | 16 | Julio César Enciso | ||
| FW | 17 | |||
| DF | 20 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 7 | |||
| MF | 10 | |||
| FW | 8 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Paulo César Carpegiani | ||||
Mohamed Al Musawi (Oman)
Mikael Milsson (Sweden)
Fourth official
| GK | 16 | Fabien Barthez | ||
| RB | 15 | Lilian Thuram | ||
| CB | 5 | Laurent Blanc | ||
| CB | 8 | Marcel Desailly | ||
| LB | 3 | Bixente Lizarazu | ||
| CM | 7 | Didier Deschamps (c) | ||
| CM | 17 | |||
| RW | 13 | |||
| LW | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff | ||
| CF | 20 | David Trezeguet | ||
| CF | 12 | |||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 11 | |||
| MF | 14 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Aimé Jacquet | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| RB | 2 | |||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| LB | 11 | Pedro Sarabia | ||
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña | ||
| CM | 16 | |||
| CM | 13 | |||
| AM | 21 | |||
| AM | 15 | |||
| CF | 9 | |||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 7 | |||
| DF | 20 | |||
| MF | 8 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Paulo César Carpegiani | ||||
Nimal Wickeramatunge (Sri Lanka)
Lencie Fred (Vanuatu)
Fourth official
Esse Baharmast (United States)
See main article: article and 2002 FIFA World Cup. Paraguay returned to the world's greatest stage once more in the 2002 World Cup. In their first match, Paraguay tied South Africa 2–2 (goals: Roque Santa Cruz and Francisco Arce). Paraguay lost to Spain in the second game (1–3) and finally defeated Slovenia (3–1; goals Nelson Cuevas, twice, and Jorge Luis Campos) to qualify for the second round. Germany ended Paraguay's dreams in the World Cup with an 88-minute goal.All times local (UTC+9)
| GK | 22 | |||
| CB | 18 | |||
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) | ||
| RWB | 2 | Francisco Arce | ||
| LWB | 21 | |||
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña | ||
| CM | 6 | |||
| CM | 8 | |||
| AM | 11 | |||
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 14 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| DF | 17 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
 Cesare Maldini | ||||
| GK | 16 | Andre Arendse | ||
| RB | 4 | |||
| CB | 13 | |||
| CB | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | ||
| LB | 3 | Bradley Carnell | ||
| RM | 2 | Cyril Nzama | ||
| CM | 12 | Teboho Mokoena | ||
| CM | 6 | MacBeth Sibaya | ||
| LM | 7 | Quinton Fortune | ||
| CF | 17 | |||
| CF | 15 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 9 | |||
| FW | 23 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Jomo Sono | ||||
Assistant referees:
Igor Šramka (Slovakia)
Curtis Charles (Antigua and Barbuda)
Fourth official:
Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
| GK | 1 | Iker Casillas | ||
| RB | 5 | Carles Puyol | ||
| CB | 6 | Fernando Hierro (c) | ||
| CB | 20 | Miguel Ángel Nadal | ||
| LB | 3 | Juanfran | ||
| RM | 21 | |||
| CM | 8 | |||
| CM | 17 | |||
| LM | 11 | Javier de Pedro | ||
| CF | 7 | Raúl | ||
| CF | 10 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 4 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| MF | 19 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| José Antonio Camacho | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| CB | 18 | Julio César Cáceres | ||
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| RWB | 2 | |||
| LWB | 21 | |||
| CM | 14 | |||
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña | ||
| CM | 13 | Carlos Paredes | ||
| CF | 9 | |||
| CF | 20 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 11 | |||
| MF | 6 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cesare Maldini | ||||
Assistant referees:
Wagih Farag (Egypt)
Brighton Mudzamiri (Zimbabwe)
Fourth official:
Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco)
| GK | 12 | Mladen Dabanovič | ||
| CB | 22 | Spasoje Bulajič | ||
| CB | 3 | |||
| CB | 15 | Rajko Tavčar | ||
| RM | 7 | Đoni Novak | ||
| CM | 8 | Aleš Čeh (c) | ||
| CM | 11 | |||
| LM | 19 | |||
| AM | 18 | |||
| CF | 21 | Sebastjan Cimirotič | ||
| CF | 9 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 13 | |||
| MF | 20 | |||
| FW | 16 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Danilo Popivoda | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | |||
| CB | 18 | Julio César Cáceres | |||
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala | |||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | |||
| RWB | 2 | Francisco Arce | |||
| LWB | 21 | Denis Caniza | |||
| CM | 13 | ||||
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña | |||
| CM | 8 | ||||
| CF | 20 | ||||
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | |||
| Substitutions: | |||||
| MF | 11 | ||||
| FW | 23 | ||||
| MF | 17 | ||||
| Manager: | |||||
| Cesare Maldini | |||||
Assistant referees:
Leif Lindberg (Sweden)
Visva Krishnan (Singapore)
Fourth official:
Kim Young-joo (South Korea)
| GK | 1 | Oliver Kahn (c) | ||
| RB | 22 | Torsten Frings | ||
| CB | 3 | |||
| CB | 2 | Thomas Linke | ||
| LB | 21 | |||
| RM | 19 | |||
| CM | 16 | Jens Jeremies | ||
| CM | 13 | |||
| LM | 17 | Marco Bode | ||
| CF | 7 | |||
| CF | 11 | Miroslav Klose | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 15 | |||
| DF | 4 | |||
| FW | 14 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Rudi Völler | ||||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | ||
| RB | 2 | Francisco Arce | ||
| CB | 18 | Julio César Cáceres | ||
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala | ||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra | ||
| LB | 21 | Denis Caniza | ||
| CM | 15 | |||
| CM | 10 | |||
| CM | 6 | |||
| CF | 20 | |||
| CF | 9 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 11 | |||
| MF | 14 | |||
| FW | 23 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Cesare Maldini | ||||
Curtis Charles (Antigua and Barbuda)
Dramane Dante (Mali)
Fourth official
See main article: article and 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2006, Paraguay qualified for its third World Cup in a row. This time, two early defeats against England and Sweden (both 0–1) sent the team home early. The only consolation was defeating Trinidad and Tobago during the last and final group game by 2–0.All times local (CEST/UTC+2)
| GK | 1 | Paul Robinson | ||
| RB | 2 | Gary Neville | ||
| CB | 5 | Rio Ferdinand | ||
| CB | 6 | John Terry | ||
| LB | 3 | Ashley Cole | ||
| DM | 4 | |||
| RM | 7 | David Beckham (c) | ||
| LM | 11 | |||
| AM | 8 | Frank Lampard | ||
| CF | 10 | |||
| CF | 21 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 20 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
 Sven-Göran Eriksson | ||||
| GK | 1 | |||
| RB | 21 | Denis Caniza | ||
| CB | 5 | Julio César Cáceres | ||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) | ||
| LB | 3 | |||
| RM | 6 | |||
| CM | 13 | Carlos Humberto Paredes | ||
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña | ||
| LM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | ||
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | ||
| CF | 18 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| GK | 22 | |||
| FW | 23 | |||
| DF | 2 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Aníbal Ruiz | ||||
Assistant referees:
José Luis Camargo (Mexico)
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Fourth official:
Coffi Codjia (Benin)
Fifth official:
Celestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)
| GK | 1 | Andreas Isaksson | ||
| RB | 7 | Niclas Alexandersson | ||
| CB | 3 | Olof Mellberg (c) | ||
| CB | 4 | |||
| LB | 5 | Erik Edman | ||
| DM | 6 | |||
| RM | 21 | |||
| LM | 9 | Freddie Ljungberg | ||
| AM | 16 | |||
| CF | 10 | |||
| CF | 11 | Henrik Larsson | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 20 | |||
| FW | 18 | |||
| FW | 17 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Lars Lagerbäck | ||||
| GK | 22 | Aldo Bobadilla | ||
| RB | 2 | |||
| CB | 5 | Julio César Cáceres | ||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) | ||
| LB | 21 | |||
| RM | 6 | |||
| CM | 10 | |||
| CM | 13 | |||
| LM | 16 | |||
| SS | 9 | |||
| CF | 18 | Nelson Valdez | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 19 | |||
| FW | 20 | |||
| MF | 8 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Aníbal Ruiz | ||||
Assistant referees:
Roman Slysko (Slovakia)
Martin Balko (Slovakia)
Fourth official:
Jerome Damon (South Africa)
Fifth official:
Enock Molefe (South Africa)
| GK | 22 | Aldo Bobadilla | ||
| RB | 21 | |||
| CB | 5 | |||
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) | ||
| LB | 2 | Jorge Núñez | ||
| DM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña | ||
| RM | 19 | |||
| LM | 8 | Edgar Barreto | ||
| AM | 13 | |||
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | ||
| CF | 18 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 23 | |||
| DF | 15 | |||
| DF | 14 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Aníbal Ruiz | ||||
| GK | 21 | Kelvin Jack | ||
| RB | 11 | Carlos Edwards | ||
| CB | 5 | |||
| CB | 6 | Dennis Lawrence | ||
| LB | 3 | |||
| RM | 7 | Chris Birchall | ||
| CM | 19 | Dwight Yorke (c) | ||
| CM | 9 | |||
| LM | 18 | Densill Theobald | ||
| CF | 14 | Stern John | ||
| CF | 13 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 15 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| MF | 10 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Leo Beenhakker | ||||
Assistant referees:
Cristiano Copelli (Italy)
Alessandro Stagnelli (Italy)
Fourth official:
Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Fifth official:
Peter Hermans (Belgium)
See main article: article and 2010 FIFA World Cup. In their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, Paraguay eventually reached the quarter-finals. Drawn into Group F along with defending champions Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand, they opened their tournament with a draw against the Italians, in a game where they took the lead thanks to a first-half goal from Antolín Alcaraz but ultimately finished 1-1. In their second match, they beat Slovakia 2–0 with goals from Enrique Vera and Christian Riveros. Their final group match saw a goalless draw with New Zealand, clinching first place in Group F and setting up a date with Japan. Another goalless draw with the Japanese after 120 minutes went to penalties, which Paraguay won 5–3, advancing them for the first time in their history to the World Cup round of eight. In the quarter-finals, they met powerhouses Spain, to whom they lost 1–0 in a game where a goal by Nelson Valdez was controversially called an offside by the referee. The game also featured each team being awarded a penalty, both of which were contained, first by Spain's Iker Casillas and then Paraguay's Justo Villar (both were also team captains for the game).
The Albirroja arrived back from South Africa on Monday, July 5 at 3:30 AM. Upon arrival, they were greeted by over 3,000 fans at the airport and were decorated by the President of Paraguay. Gerardo Martino announced that he would take some time to decide his future, although the Paraguayan Football Association has offered him a four-year contract to continue at the helm. Roque Santa Cruz also announced that this would be his last World Cup, but that he may play one more tournament, the Copa América in Argentina in 2011, which he ended up playing in.All times local (UTC+02)
| GK | 1 | |||
| RB | 19 | Gianluca Zambrotta | ||
| CB | 5 | Fabio Cannavaro (c) | ||
| CB | 4 | Giorgio Chiellini | ||
| LB | 3 | Domenico Criscito | ||
| CM | 6 | Daniele De Rossi | ||
| CM | 22 | Riccardo Montolivo | ||
| AM | 15 | |||
| RW | 7 | Simone Pepe | ||
| LW | 9 | Vincenzo Iaquinta | ||
| CF | 11 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| GK | 12 | |||
| MF | 16 | |||
| FW | 10 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Marcello Lippi | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) | ||
| RB | 6 | Carlos Bonet | ||
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz | ||
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva | ||
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel | ||
| DM | 15 | |||
| RM | 13 | Enrique Vera | ||
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | ||
| LM | 17 | |||
| SS | 18 | |||
| CF | 19 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 11 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| FW | 7 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Gerardo Martino | ||||
Héctor Vergara (Canada)
Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
Fourth official
Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
Fifth official
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
| GK | 1 | Ján Mucha | ||
| RB | 2 | Peter Pekarík | ||
| CB | 3 | Martin Škrtel | ||
| CB | 21 | |||
| LB | 16 | |||
| DM | 6 | Zdeno Štrba | ||
| CM | 17 | Marek Hamšík (c) | ||
| RW | 9 | |||
| LW | 7 | |||
| SS | 8 | Ján Kozák | ||
| CF | 11 | Róbert Vittek | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 13 | |||
| MF | 15 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Vladimír Weiss | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) | ||
| RB | 6 | Carlos Bonet | ||
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva | ||
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz | ||
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel | ||
| DM | 15 | Víctor Cáceres | ||
| CM | 13 | |||
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | ||
| AM | 18 | |||
| SS | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | ||
| CF | 19 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| DF | 17 | |||
| FW | 7 | |||
| MF | 8 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Gerardo Martino | ||||
Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
Bechir Hassani (Tunisia)
Fourth official
Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
Fifth official
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar | ||
| RB | 4 | Denis Caniza (c) | ||
| CB | 5 | Julio Cáceres | ||
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva | ||
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel | ||
| DM | 15 | |||
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | ||
| CM | 13 | Enrique Vera | ||
| AM | 9 | |||
| AM | 18 | |||
| CF | 7 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 19 | |||
| FW | 10 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Gerardo Martino | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Mark Paston | ||
| RB | 4 | Winston Reid | ||
| CB | 6 | Ryan Nelsen (c) | ||
| LB | 19 | Tommy Smith | ||
| CM | 7 | Simon Elliott | ||
| CM | 5 | Ivan Vicelich | ||
| RM | 11 | Leo Bertos | ||
| LM | 3 | Tony Lochhead | ||
| AM | 10 | |||
| AM | 9 | Shane Smeltz | ||
| CF | 14 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 20 | |||
| MF | 22 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Ricki Herbert | ||||
Toru Sagara (Japan)
Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)
Fourth official
Koman Coulibaly (Mali)
Fifth official
Inacio Manuel Candido (Angola)Paraguay and Japan met at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on 29 June 2010. The match was decided by a penalty shootout after the score was locked at 0–0 for 120 minutes. Paraguay won the shootout and progressed to its first ever World Cup quarter-final.[2] The match was a generally unexciting affair, as Japan adopted a defensive posture while Paraguay itself maintained a solid defence. The first half produced the occasional chance on goal with Lucas Barrios having a shot saved shortly before a long-distance shot from Daisuke Matsui hit the crossbar of Paraguay's goal. The second half was similar, with either side producing occasional chances to score rather than periods of dominance. The result of the deadlock was extra time, which continued goalless. A penalty shootout ensued, in which Yūichi Komano missed a spot kick for Japan. Paraguay scored all five of its penalties, clinching the win and passage to the quarter-finals.[3] After the match, Japan head coach Takeshi Okada resigned and Shunsuke Nakamura retired from international football.[4]
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) | ||
| RB | 6 | Carlos Bonet | ||
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva | ||
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz | ||
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel | ||
| DM | 20 | |||
| CM | 13 | Enrique Vera | ||
| CM | 16 | |||
| RW | 9 | |||
| LW | 10 | |||
| CF | 19 | Lucas Barrios | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 18 | |||
| MF | 8 | |||
| FW | 7 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Gerardo Martino | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 21 | Eiji Kawashima | ||
| RB | 3 | Yūichi Komano | ||
| CB | 22 | Yuji Nakazawa | ||
| CB | 4 | Marcus Tulio Tanaka | ||
| LB | 5 | |||
| DM | 2 | |||
| CM | 17 | Makoto Hasebe (c) | ||
| CM | 7 | |||
| RW | 8 | |||
| LW | 16 | |||
| CF | 18 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 9 | |||
| MF | 14 | |||
| FW | 11 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Takeshi Okada | ||||
Peter Hermans (Belgium)
Walter Vromans (Belgium)
Fourth official
Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)
Fifth official
Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands)
On 3 July 2010, Spain defeated Paraguay 1–0 to secure entry to the semi-finals where they would meet Germany. It was the first time that Spain had progressed to the semi-final of a World Cup since 1950; while for the defeated Paraguay, the quarter-final appearance was also the country's best ever performance.[5]
The first half of the match finished goalless, although both sides had chances to score and Paraguay's Nelson Valdez had a goal ruled out as offside. The match suddenly became eventful in the second half due to a string of penalty kicks. First, Óscar Cardozo was pulled down by Gerard Piqué in Spain's penalty area and Paraguay was awarded a penalty. Cardozo took the penalty himself but it was saved by Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Spain soon after launched an attack at the other end of the field, in which David Villa was ruled by the referee to have been brought down by Antolín Alcaraz. Xabi Alonso stepped up to take the penalty kick and seemed to have scored, only for the referee to order it be retaken because of encroachment by a Spanish player into the penalty area before the kick was taken. Xabi Alonso's retake was saved by Paraguayan goalkeeper Justo Villar. As a result, the score remained 0–0 after the three penalty kicks. Spain, however, ultimately managed to take the lead in the 82nd minute: David Villa collected a rebounded shot off the post from Pedro, to score himself off the post. The goal turned out to be the winner for Spain.[5] After the match, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque conceded that his side were not playing at their best and were starved of possession. He also noted his view that Spain's next opponents Germany were the best team at the World Cup.[6] Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino stated he would be leaving his position at the end of his contract.[7]
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) | ||
| RB | 2 | Darío Verón | ||
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva | ||
| CB | 21 | |||
| LB | 3 | |||
| DM | 15 | |||
| RM | 11 | |||
| CM | 8 | |||
| LM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | ||
| SS | 18 | |||
| CF | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 13 | |||
| FW | 9 | |||
| FW | 19 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Gerardo Martino | ||||
| width=25 | ! | width=25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Iker Casillas (c) | ||
| RB | 15 | Sergio Ramos | ||
| CB | 3 | |||
| CB | 5 | |||
| LB | 11 | Joan Capdevila | ||
| DM | 16 | |||
| RM | 6 | Andrés Iniesta | ||
| CM | 8 | Xavi | ||
| LM | 14 | |||
| SS | 7 | David Villa | ||
| CF | 9 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 10 | |||
| FW | 18 | |||
| DF | 4 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Vicente del Bosque | ||||
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)
Fourth official
Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Fifth official
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denis Caniza | 12 | 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 |
| Roque Santa Cruz | 12 | 2002, 2006 and 2010 | |
| 3 | Roberto Acuña | 11 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| Carlos Gamarra | 11 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 | |
| 5 | Carlos Paredes | 9 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| 6 | Celso Ayala | 8 | 1998 and 2002 |
| Julio César Cáceres | 8 | 2002, 2006 and 2010 | |
| Nelson Valdez | 8 | 2006 and 2010 | |
| 9 | Francisco Arce | 7 | 1998 and 2002 |
| Jorge Campos | 7 | 1998 and 2002 | |
| José Luis Chilavert | 7 | 1998 and 2002 | |
| Cristian Riveros | 7 | 2006 and 2010 | |