Paraguay at the FIFA World Cup
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.
Overall record
FIFA World Cup record | ||||||||
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Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
1930 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
1934 | Did not enter | |||||||
1938 | ||||||||
1950 | Group stage | 11th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
1954 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1958 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
1962 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1966 | ||||||||
1970 | ||||||||
1974 | ||||||||
1978 | ||||||||
1982 | ||||||||
1986 | Round of 16 | 13th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
1990 | Did not qualify | |||||||
1994 | ||||||||
1998 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
2002 | 16th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |
2006 | Group stage | 18th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
2010 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
2014 | 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 |
- *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
By match
Record by opponent
FIFA World Cup matches (by team) | ||||||
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Opponent | Wins | Draws | Losses | Total | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded |
Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
England | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
France | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Iraq | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Italy | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Japan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Mexico | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Nigeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Spain | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Sweden | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
The results
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.
1930 FIFA World Cup
In the first round, Paraguay debuted and lost to the United States (0–3), to then defeat Belgium (1–0) with a goal by Luis Vargas Peña. Only one team was to advance from the group stage, and the U.S. left Paraguay behind.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 4 | Advance to the knockout stage |
2 | Paraguay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 | |
3 | Belgium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
United States | 3–0 | Paraguay |
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Patenaude 10', 15', 50' | Report |
Paraguay | 1–0 | Belgium |
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Vargas Peña 40' | Report |
United States | 3–0 | Paraguay |
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Patenaude 10', 15', 50'[1] | Report |
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Linesmen:
Martin Aphesteguy (Uruguay)
Anibal Tejada (Uruguay)
Paraguay | 1–0 | Belgium |
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Vargas Peña 40'[2] | Report |
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Linesmen:
José Macías (Argentina)
Domingo Lombardi (Uruguay)
1950 FIFA World Cup
In their return to the World Cup, Paraguay faced
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Sweden | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | Advance to final round |
2 | Italy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 2 | |
3 | Paraguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
Italy | 2 – 0 | Paraguay |
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Carapellese 12' Pandolfini 62' |
Report |
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.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | France | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 1.571 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1.167 | 4 | |
3 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 0.750 | 3 | |
4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.667 | 1 |
France | 7–3 | Paraguay |
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Vincent 83' |
Report | Romero 50' |
Paraguay | 3–2 | Scotland |
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73' | Report | Mudie 24' Collins 74' |
Paraguay | 3–3 | Yugoslavia |
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Romero 80' |
Report | Ognjanović 18' Veselinović 21' Rajkov 73' |
1986 FIFA World Cup
Paraguay ended a 28-year absence from the World Cup in 1986 with a team starring
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Mexico (H) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | |
3 | Belgium | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
4 | Iraq | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
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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.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | |
3 | Spain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 | |
4 | Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
Paraguay
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Bulgaria
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Assistant referees:
Achmat Salie (South Africa)
Hussain Ghadanfari (Kuwait)
Fourth official:
Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)
Spain
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Paraguay
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Assistant referees:
Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)
Owen Powell (Jamaica)
Fourth official:
Nigeria
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Paraguay
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Assistant referees:
Mohamed Al Musawi (Oman)
Mikael Milsson (Sweden)
Fourth official:
Masayoshi Okada (Japan)
a.e.t.) | Paraguay | |
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Blanc 113' | Report |
France
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Paraguay
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Assistant referees:
Nimal Wickeramatunge (Sri Lanka)
Lencie Fred (Vanuatu)
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
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
3 | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
4 | Slovenia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
All times local (
Paraguay | 2–2 | South Africa |
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Santa Cruz 39' Arce 55' |
Report | ) |
Paraguay
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South Africa
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Man of the Match:
Francisco Arce (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Igor Šramka (Slovakia)
Curtis Charles (Antigua and Barbuda)
Fourth official:
Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
Spain
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Paraguay
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Man of the Match:
Fernando Morientes (Spain)
Assistant referees:
Wagih Farag (Egypt)
Brighton Mudzamiri (Zimbabwe)
Fourth official:
Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco)
Slovenia
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Paraguay
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Man of the Match:
Nelson Cuevas (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Leif Lindberg (Sweden)
Visva Krishnan (Singapore)
Fourth official:
Kim Young-joo (South Korea)
Germany
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Paraguay
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Man of the Match:
Jens Jeremies (Germany)
Assistant referees:
Curtis Charles (Antigua and Barbuda)
Dramane Dante (Mali)
Fourth official:
Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
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.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 | |
3 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
4 | Trinidad and Tobago | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 1 |
All times local (CEST/UTC+2)
England | 1–0 | Paraguay |
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Gamarra 3' (o.g.) | Report |
England
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Paraguay
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Man of the Match:
Frank Lampard (England)
Assistant referees:
José Luis Camargo (Mexico)
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Fourth official:
Coffi Codjia (Benin)
Fifth official:
Celestin Ntagungira (
Sweden | 1–0 | Paraguay |
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Ljungberg 89' | Report |
Sweden
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Paraguay
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Man of the Match:
Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden)
Assistant referees:
Roman Slysko (Slovakia)
Martin Balko (Slovakia)
Fourth official:
Jerome Damon (South Africa)
Fifth official:
Enock Molefe (South Africa)
Paraguay
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Trinidad and Tobago
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Man of the Match:
Julio dos Santos (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Cristiano Copelli (Italy)
Alessandro Stagnelli (Italy)
Fourth official:
Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Fifth official:
Peter Hermans (Belgium)
2010 FIFA World Cup
In their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, Paraguay eventually reached the quarter-finals. Drawn into
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.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
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1 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | |
3 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
4 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
All times local (
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Man of the Match:
Antolín Alcaraz (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Héctor Vergara (Canada)[4]
Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)[4]
Fourth official:
Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)[4]
Fifth official:
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)[4]
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Man of the Match:
Enrique Vera (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)[4]
Bechir Hassani (Tunisia)[4]
Fourth official:
Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)[4]
Fifth official:
Juan Zumba (El Salvador)[4]
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Man of the Match:
Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay)
Assistant referees:
Toru Sagara (Japan)[4]
Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)[4]
Fourth official:
Koman Coulibaly (Mali)[4]
Fifth official:
Inacio Manuel Candido (Angola)[4]
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.[8] 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.[9] After the match, Japan head coach Takeshi Okada resigned and Shunsuke Nakamura retired from international football.[10]
Paraguay | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Japan |
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Report | ||
Penalties | ||
Barreto Barrios Riveros Valdez Cardozo |
5–3 | Endō Hasebe Komano Honda |
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Man of the Match:
Keisuke Honda (Japan)
Assistant referees:
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.[12]
The first half of the match finished goalless, although both sides had chances to score and Paraguay's
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Man of the Match:
Andrés Iniesta (Spain)
Assistant referees:
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)
Fourth official:
Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Fifth official:
Héctor Vergara (Canada)
Record players
Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
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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 |
World Cup goalscorers
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2016) |
World Cup | Player | Goals |
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2002, 2006 | Nelson Cuevas | 3 |
1986 | Roberto Cabañas | 2 |
1986 | Romerito | 2 |
1958 | Florencio Amarilla | 2 |
1958 | Jorge Romero | 2 |
1958 | José Parodi | 2 |
1958 | Juan Bautista Agüero | 2 |
2010 | Cristian Riveros | 1 |
2010 | Enrique Vera | 1 |
2010 | Antolín Alcaraz | 1 |
2002 | Jorge Luis Campos
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1 |
2002 | Francisco Arce | 1 |
2002 | Roque Santa Cruz | 1 |
1998 | José Cardozo | 1 |
1998 | Miguel Ángel Benítez | 1 |
1998 | Celso Ayala | 1 |
1958 | Cayetano Ré | 1 |
1950 | César López Fretes | 1 |
1950 | Atilio López | 1 |
1930 | Luis Vargas Peña | 1 |
See also
References
- ^ FIFA initially credited the goal in the 15th minute to Tom Florie, but changed it to Patenaude in 2006. During previous years, it was also listed as an own goal by Aurelio González (RSSSF).
- Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation(RSSSF). Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ^ ".:: Albirroja.com - el Sitio de la Aficion ::" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2004-08-18. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Match Appointments" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 24 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-up – Group F – Italy-Paraguay" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-up – Group F – Slovakia-Paraguay" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 20 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-up – Group F – Paraguay-New Zealand" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 24 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Archivedfrom the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (29 June 2010). "Paraguay 0–0 Japan (5–3 pens)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ "Okada stands down as Japan coach". Sport.co.uk. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-up – Last 16 – Paraguay-Japan" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ a b Fletcher, Paul (3 July 2010). "Paraguay 0–1 Spain". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- British Broadcasting Corporation. 3 July 2010. Archivedfrom the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ Razwan Mirza (5 July 2010). "Martino quits Paraguay". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Tactical Line-up – Quarterfinal – Paraguay-Spain" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 3 July 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2010.