Paraguay national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paraguay

Nickname(s)	Los Guaraníes (The Guaraníes) La Albirroja (The White and Red)
Association	Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (APF)
Confederation	CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach	Gustavo Alfaro
Captain	Gustavo Gómez
Most caps	Paulo da Silva (148)
Top scorer	Roque Santa Cruz (32)
Home stadium	Estadio Defensores del Chaco
FIFA code	PAR
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	33 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	8 (March 2001)
Lowest	103 (May 1995)
Elo ranking
Current	39 13 (3 March 2019)
Highest	4 (21 February 1954)
Lowest	43 (12 August 1962, 5 March 2014, 31 March 2015)
First international
Paraguay 1–5 Argentina  (Asunción, Paraguay; 11 May 1919)
Biggest win
Paraguay 7–0 Bolivia  (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 30 April 1949)  Hong Kong 0–7 Paraguay  (Hong Kong; 17 November 2010)
Biggest defeat
Argentina 8–0 Paraguay  (Santiago, Chile; 20 October 1926)
World Cup
Appearances	8 (first in 1930)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2010)
Copa América
Appearances	39 (first in 1921)
Best result	Champions (1953, 1979)

The Paraguay national football team, also known as La Albirroja, which means "The White and Red," represents Paraguay in men's international football games. The team is managed by the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol (APF). Paraguay is a member of CONMEBOL, the football confederation for South America.

La Albirroja has played in eight FIFA World Cup tournaments. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2010. Paraguay also regularly competes in the Copa América, winning the championship twice in 1953 and 1979. The team's highest FIFA World Rankings was 8th in March 2001. They also won the "Best Mover of the Year" award in 1996 for climbing up the FIFA rankings.

The team had a very successful time under Argentine coach Gerardo Martino. He was named "South American Coach of the Year" in 2007. Martino led Paraguay to their first-ever World Cup quarter-finals in 2010. He also guided them to the final of the 2011 Copa América, where they finished second. Only Carlos Gamarra and José Luis Chilavert from Paraguay have been chosen for the All-Star Team at a World Cup, both in 1998. Paulo da Silva has played the most games for the national team with 148 matches. Roque Santa Cruz is the top goal scorer with 32 goals. Denis Caniza is the only player to have played for Paraguay in four World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010).

Team History

Early Days of Paraguayan Football (1900–1930)

Football came to Paraguay thanks to Williams Paats. Soon after, the Liga Paraguaya de Futbol was formed in 1906. This league is now known as the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol. The first national team was put together in 1910 for a friendly match against an Argentine club. That game ended in a 0–0 tie.

As more invitations for international games came, the APF officially created the national team. They chose the red and white striped jerseys, inspired by the Paraguayan flag. In 1919, Paraguay agreed to play in the 1921 Copa América. Their first official international game was a 5–1 loss to Argentina in preparation. At the 1921 Copa América, Paraguay surprised everyone by beating Uruguay 2–1. This was their first win in an official competition. Paraguay finished fourth and became a regular in the tournament.

In 1930, Paraguay played in the very first World Cup in Uruguay. They lost their first game to the United States (0–3). Then, they beat Belgium (1–0) with a goal from Luis Vargas Peña. Only one team from each group could move on, so the U.S. advanced instead of Paraguay.

First Big Wins (1930–1970)

Paraguay did well in the Copa América tournaments in 1929, 1947, and 1949, finishing second each time. This prepared them for their next World Cup.

They returned to the World Cup in 1950. Paraguay was in Group 3 with Sweden and Italy. They drew 2–2 with Sweden and lost 2–0 to Italy, so they did not move past the first round.

Paraguay's first major success came in 1953 when they won the Copa América in Peru. On their way to the title, they beat Chile (3–0), Bolivia (2–1), and Brazil (2–1). They tied with Ecuador (0–0), Peru (2–2), and Uruguay (2–2). Since Paraguay and Brazil had the same points, they played a final match. Paraguay won 3–2. Key players included Ángel Berni and Rubén Fernández. The coach was Manuel Fleitas Solich.

For the 1958 World Cup, Paraguay surprisingly qualified ahead of Uruguay. They had strong attackers like Juan Bautista Agüero and Florencio Amarilla. In Sweden, Paraguay lost a high-scoring game to France 7–3, even though they were leading 3–2 at one point. They then beat Scotland 3–2 and drew 3–3 with Yugoslavia. Paraguay finished third in their group.

Many of Paraguay's star players moved to play in Europe, especially Spain. This made the team a bit weaker. They just missed out on qualifying for the 1962 World Cup, being edged out by Mexico.

More Success in South America (1970–1990)

Paraguay did not qualify for the World Cup for a while. However, they found success in the Copa América in 1979. Also, one of their top clubs, Olimpia, won the Copa Libertadores. This showed that Paraguay was still a strong football nation in South America.

Paraguay won the 1979 Copa América by finishing first in their group. In the semi-finals, they beat Brazil 4–3 over two games. In the finals, Paraguay defeated Chile 3–1 to win their second Copa América title. Players like Romerito and Eugenio Morel were important to the team, which was coached by Ranulfo Miranda.

Paraguay returned to the World Cup in 1986 after 28 years. The team had stars like goalkeeper Roberto Fernández and midfielder Romerito. In the first round, Paraguay beat Iraq 1–0. They then drew with Mexico (1–1) and Belgium (2–2). They made it to the second round but lost 3–0 to England.

The Golden Generation (1998–2011)

After 1986, Paraguay did not qualify for the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

In 1992, Paraguay won a tournament that qualified them for the 1992 Summer Olympics football competition. At the Olympics, they finished second in their group but lost to Ghana in the quarter-finals. This team saw the rise of new young players like Carlos Gamarra, Celso Ayala, José Luis Chilavert, Francisco Arce, and José Cardozo. These players became part of a "golden generation" that led Paraguay to three World Cups in a row. They also performed well in other South American tournaments, making Paraguay one of the top teams alongside Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

1998 FIFA World Cup

Paraguay finished second in the qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup. 1998 FIFA World Cup Group D Coached by Brazilian Paulo César Carpegiani, La Albirroja was back in the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The team had many experienced players. Paraguay was in Group D with Bulgaria, Nigeria, and Spain.

Paraguay drew their first two matches 0–0 against Bulgaria and Spain. They then played Nigeria, who had already qualified. Paraguay won 3–1 and finished second in their group.

In the second round on June 28, Paraguay faced France. The game was 0–0 for 90 minutes. In extra time, Laurent Blanc scored a "golden goal" in the 114th minute, which meant France won and Paraguay was out. Defender Carlos Gamarra and goalkeeper and captain José Luís Chilavert were chosen for the 1998 All-Star Team.

Copa América Tournaments (1999 and 2001)

1999 Copa América Group A

Paraguay hosted the 1999 Copa América. Coach Ever Hugo Almeida chose an experienced team, mostly with players from the 1998 World Cup. In their group with Bolivia, Japan, and Peru, Paraguay drew 0–0 with Bolivia. On July 2, Paraguay beat Japan 4–0. In their last group game, Paraguay won 1–0 against Peru. La Albirroja finished first in the group with seven points. In the quarter-finals, Paraguay played Uruguay. The game went to a penalty shootout, where Paraguay lost 5–3. After the tournament, striker Roque Santa Cruz won the 1999 Paraguayan Footballer of the Year award.

In the 2001 Copa America, coach Sergio Markarián picked a team mostly of players from Paraguay's own league. Paraguay was in a group with Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. Their first game on July 12 was a 3–3 draw. On July 15, Paraguay drew 0–0 with Mexico. In their last group game on July 18, Brazil won 3–1, which meant Paraguay was eliminated with only two points.

2002 FIFA World Cup

Paraguay started their 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification in March 2000 with a 2–0 loss to Peru. A month later, they beat Uruguay 1–0. On June 3, 2000, Paraguay won 3–1 at home against Ecuador. They then lost 3–1 to Chile. On July 18, 2000, Paraguay had a big 2–1 home win against Brazil. After two draws, Paraguay won four games in a row. These wins were against Venezuela, Colombia (2–0), Peru (5–1), and Uruguay (1–0). This moved them into second place in the qualifiers.

Paraguay lost 2–1 to Ecuador away. They then beat Chile 1–0. They lost 2–0 to Brazil away. Paraguay then beat Bolivia 5–1 at home. A month later, they drew Argentina 2–2. Paraguay stayed in second place. They then lost 3–1 to Venezuela and 4–0 to Colombia. Paraguay finished fourth in the qualifiers with 30 points, earning a spot in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. José Saturnino Cardozo scored six goals and Carlos Humberto Paredes scored five goals during the qualifiers. 2002 FIFA World Cup Group B Paraguay went into the 2002 FIFA World Cup with many players from the 1998 team. José Luís Chilavert was the captain. Cesare Maldini became coach in January 2002, which caused some debate because local coaches were not chosen.

Paraguay was in Group B with Spain, South Africa, and Slovenia. Their first game on June 2 against South Africa was a 2–2 draw. Paraguay then lost 3–1 to Spain on June 7. In their third group game against Slovenia, Paraguay won 3–1. Paraguay and South Africa both had four points and a goal difference of 0. But Paraguay moved on because they scored 6 goals, while South Africa scored 5. Paraguay then played Germany in the Round of 16. Germany scored in the 88th minute to win 1–0, ending Paraguay's tournament.

2004 Copa América

Coach Carlos Jara Saguier took a young team to the 2004 Copa América. Most players were from Paraguay's top league. Paraguay was in Group C with Brazil, Costa Rica, and Chile. They won their first game 1–0 against Costa Rica with a penalty. Paraguay then drew 1–1 with Chile. In their game against Brazil, Paraguay won 2–1. This meant Paraguay finished first in the group without losing, with seven points. In the quarter-finals, Paraguay played Uruguay. Uruguay won 3–1, and Paraguay was out of the competition.

2006 FIFA World Cup

Paraguay started the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification with three wins in their first four games in 2003. After losing 4–1 to Peru, Paraguay won against Uruguay (4–1) and Chile (1–0) to reach first place. In 2004, Paraguay drew 0–0 with Brazil and lost 2–1 to Bolivia. Their only win in 2004 was 1–0 against Venezuela. They ended the year with a 1–0 loss to Uruguay. In 2005, Paraguay lost to Ecuador but then beat Chile 2–1. Brazil then defeated Paraguay 4–1. Paraguay beat Bolivia 4–1 and Argentina 1–0, which was their first official win against Argentina. They also beat Venezuela 1–0. In their last qualifier, they lost 1–0 at home to Colombia. Paraguay finished fourth in the qualifiers, making it to their third World Cup in a row. José Cardozo was second in goals scored with seven.

2006 FIFA World Cup Group B Coach Aníbal Ruiz took 8 players from European clubs and 11 from South American clubs to Germany for the 2006 tournament. This was Paraguay's third World Cup in a row, and the team had many experienced players, including captain Carlos Gamarra.

Paraguay was in Group B with England, Sweden, and Trinidad and Tobago. Paraguay played England in their first game on June 10. England won 1–0. They faced Sweden on June 15, and Sweden won, eliminating Paraguay after just two games without scoring a single goal. Paraguay's only win came in their last group game on June 20 against Trinidad and Tobago, a 2–0 victory. Paraguay finished third in their group. They were the only South American team not to get past the first round. After the World Cup, Aníbal Ruiz resigned as coach.

Paraguay's team changed a lot after the 2006 World Cup because key players like José Luis Chilavert retired. In 2007, Argentine Gerardo "Tata" Martino became the new head coach.

2007 Copa América

2007 Copa América Gerardo Martino took an experienced team to Venezuela. Many familiar players returned, and new ones like Enrique Vera and Óscar Cardozo joined. Paraguay was in Group C with Argentina, Colombia, and the USA. In their first game, they beat Colombia 5–0, with Roque Santa Cruz scoring three goals and Salvador Cabañas scoring two. In their second game against the US, Paraguay won 3–1. With six points, Paraguay and Argentina both qualified from the group. In their last group game, Paraguay lost 1–0 to Argentina. Paraguay then played Mexico in the quarter-finals. Paraguay's goalkeeper was sent off early, and Mexico won 6–0, ending Paraguay's Copa América journey.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Paraguay started their 2010 World Cup qualifying with a 0–0 draw against Peru. They then won four games in a row against Uruguay (1–0), Ecuador (5–1), Chile (3–0), and Brazil (2–0). These wins put Paraguay in first place in the CONMEBOL table for nine rounds. Paraguay lost for the first time in a 4–2 game against Bolivia.

Paraguay drew 1–1 with Argentina. Days later, they won 2–0 at home against Venezuela, staying in first place. Paraguay then won two 1–0 games against Colombia and Peru, ending 2008 in first place. In 2009, Paraguay lost 2–0 to Uruguay and drew 1–1 with Ecuador. By June, they lost 2–0 at home to Chile and 2–1 to Brazil away. In their last four qualifiers, Paraguay won 1–0 at home against Bolivia. They secured their spot in the World Cup by beating Argentina 1–0 on September 9. Paraguay finished the qualifiers with a 2–1 win against Venezuela and a 2–0 loss to Colombia. They ended with 33 points. Salvador Cabañas was among the top goal scorers with six goals.

2010 FIFA World Cup Group F Paraguay had an experienced team for the 2010 World Cup, including Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez. This was Paraguay's fourth World Cup in a row. Denis Caniza played in his record fourth consecutive World Cup. The team had 9 players from European clubs. Paraguay was in Group F with Italy, Slovakia, and New Zealand. Paraguay drew their first game 1–1 with Italy. They then beat Slovakia 2–0 and drew 0–0 with New Zealand, finishing first in their group.

In the second round, Paraguay played Japan. The game was a 0–0 draw, so it went to a penalty shootout. Paraguay won 5–3, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time ever. La Albirroja then faced Spain in the quarter-finals. Paraguayan goalkeeper Justo Villar saved a penalty kick. However, Spain scored in the 83rd minute to win 1–0. Spain went on to win the tournament. After the match, Gerardo Martino said he would leave his coaching job.

2011 Copa América

At the 2011 Copa América, Paraguay was in Group B with Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Paraguay drew their first game 0–0 with Ecuador. They then drew 2–2 with Brazil. Paraguay finished the group stage with a 3–3 draw against Venezuela, earning three points. They advanced as one of the best third-place teams.

Paraguay played Brazil in the quarter-finals. The game ended in a 0–0 draw and went to a penalty shootout. Paraguay won 2–0. Paraguay then faced Venezuela in the semi-final. They won 5–3 in another penalty shootout, sending them to the final. Paraguay played Uruguay in the final, reaching it for the first time since 1979. They lost 3–0. However, Paraguayan goalkeeper Justo Villar was named the Best goalkeeper of the tournament. Gerardo Martino resigned as coach soon after.

2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Francisco Arce took over as coach for the qualifiers. In October 2011, Paraguay lost their first two games 2–0. Four days later, they drew 1–1 with Uruguay. Paraguay got their first win by beating Ecuador 2–1. Fourth place was the highest Paraguay reached during these qualifiers, as they then had many losses.

Paraguay lost 2–0 to Chile and 3–1 to Bolivia. Francisco Arce left as coach in 2012 after the loss to Bolivia. Gerardo Pelusso replaced him. Paraguay then lost 3–1 to Argentina, 2–0 to Venezuela, and 2–0 to Colombia. These losses put Paraguay at the bottom of the table.

Paraguay ended their losing streak by beating Peru 1–0, their second win in the qualifiers. They then tied Uruguay 1–1. Paraguay lost 4–1 to Ecuador. In Round 13, Paraguay lost 2–1 to Chile. In that game, Roque Santa Cruz scored his 26th goal, making him Paraguay's all-time leading goal scorer. By this time, Gerardo Pelusso had left, and coach Víctor Genes took charge until the end of the qualifiers. Paraguay then beat Bolivia 4–0. However, a 5–2 loss to Argentina officially meant Paraguay could not qualify.

Paraguay's last two games in October 2013 were against Venezuela and Colombia. They drew 1–1 with Venezuela. In their last qualifier, they lost 2–1 to Colombia. Paraguay finished last in the table with only 12 points from three wins and ten losses. The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was not successful. Paraguay changed coaches three times during this period.

Recent Copa América Tournaments

Paraguay did much better in the 2015 Copa América than in the World Cup qualifiers. They reached the semi-finals, beating Brazil in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. However, they were eliminated by Argentina, losing 6–1.

Before the Copa América Centenario in 2016, players like Roque Santa Cruz, Nelson Haedo, Paulo da Silva, and Justo Villar were called "historics" because they were the only experienced players. Santa Cruz got injured and was replaced.

After a difficult tournament, coach Ramón Díaz resigned. Some former players, like José Luís Chilavert, criticized the team's management. José Cardozo said that players today don't show the same passion as in the past. Celso Ayala also noted that Paraguay needed to play with more toughness, like Uruguay.

Team Appearance

Paraguay's traditional uniform is red and white shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks. Their away colors are usually all white. They started wearing Puma brand uniforms after their contract with Adidas ended. They did not use their away colors when they played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Kit provider	Period
Adidas	1979-1980
Textil Paraná	1981–1983
Rainha	1984-1986
Sportman	1987–1990
Textil Paraná	1991–1992
Ennerre	1993–1994
Reebok	1995–1998
Puma	1999–2006
Adidas	2007–2019
Puma	2020–present

Match Results and Upcoming Games

Here are the results from the last 12 months and any scheduled future matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

2025 Matches

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Gustavo Alfaro
Assistant coach	Carlos Gonzalez
Assistant coach	Claudio Cristofanelli
Fitness coach	Sergio Omar
Fitness coach	Pedro Ignacio
Video analyst	Alejandro Juan
Goalkeeping coach	Diego Carranza
First-team Doctor	Justo Tapia
Physiotherapist	Luis Canteros
Academy manager	Elvio Paolorosso

Players

Current Squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Uruguay and Brazil on June 5 and 10, 2025.

Caps and goals are updated as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Brazil.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Carlos Coronel	(1996-12-29) 29 December 1996 (age 28)	9	0	New York Red Bulls
12	1GK	Roberto Fernández	(1988-03-29) 29 March 1988 (age 37)	28	0	Cerro Porteño
22	1GK	Orlando Gill	(2000-06-11) 11 June 2000 (age 25)	0	0	San Lorenzo
	1GK	Juan Espínola	(1994-11-02) 2 November 1994 (age 30)	1	0	Belgrano
2	2DF	Gustavo Velázquez	(1991-04-17) 17 April 1991 (age 34)	9	1	Cerro Porteño
3	2DF	Omar Alderete	(1996-12-26) 26 December 1996 (age 28)	29	3	Getafe
4	2DF	Juan Cáceres	(2000-06-01) 1 June 2000 (age 25)	11	0	Dynamo Moscow
5	2DF	Fabián Balbuena	(1991-08-23) 23 August 1991 (age 33)	47	2	Dynamo Moscow
6	2DF	Júnior Alonso	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32)	63	3	Atlético Mineiro
13	2DF	Agustín Sández	(2001-01-16) 16 January 2001 (age 24)	3	0	Rosario Central
15	2DF	Gustavo Gómez (captain)	(1993-05-06) 6 May 1993 (age 32)	81	4	Palmeiras
	2DF	Ronaldo de Jesús	(2001-04-21) 21 April 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Lanús
7	3MF	Ramón Sosa	(1999-08-31) 31 August 1999 (age 25)	23	1	Palmeiras
8	3MF	Diego Gómez	(2003-03-27) 27 March 2003 (age 22)	15	1	Brighton & Hove Albion
10	3MF	Miguel Almirón	(1994-02-10) 10 February 1994 (age 31)	68	8	Atlanta United
14	3MF	Andrés Cubas	(1996-05-22) 22 May 1996 (age 29)	30	0	Vancouver Whitecaps
16	3MF	Damián Bobadilla	(2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 24)	11	0	São Paulo
17	3MF	Alejandro Romero Gamarra	(1995-01-11) 11 January 1995 (age 30)	29	5	Al Ain
20	3MF	Mathías Villasanti	(1997-01-24) 24 January 1997 (age 28)	51	0	Grêmio
23	3MF	Rubén Lezcano	(2004-02-09) 9 February 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Fluminense
9	4FW	Antonio Sanabria	(1996-03-04) 4 March 1996 (age 29)	39	6	Torino
11	4FW	Ángel Romero	(1992-07-04) 4 July 1992 (age 33)	49	8	Corinthians
18	4FW	Gabriel Ávalos	(1991-07-09) 9 July 1991 (age 34)	20	2	Independiente
19	4FW	Julio Enciso	(2004-01-23) 23 January 2004 (age 21)	27	4	Brighton & Hove Albion
21	4FW	Isidro Pitta	(1999-08-14) 14 August 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Red Bull Bragantino
	4FW	Rodney Redes	(2000-02-22) 22 February 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Olimpia

Recent Call-ups

The following players have been called up to the team in the past 12 months:

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Saúl Salcedo	(1997-08-29) 29 August 1997 (age 27)	6	1	Newell's Old Boys	v.  Colombia, 25 March 2025
DF	Santiago Arzamendia	(1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 (age 27)	24	0	Estudiantes	v.  Bolivia, 19 November 2024
DF	César Olmedo	(2003-02-28) 28 February 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Olimpia	v.  Bolivia, 19 November 2024
DF	Daniel Rivas	(2001-12-06) 6 December 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Cerro Porteño	v.  Venezuela, 15 October 2024
DF	Blas Riveros	(1998-02-03) 3 February 1998 (age 27)	14	0	Talleres	v.  Brazil, 10 September 2024
DF	Mateo Gamarra	(2000-10-20) 20 October 2000 (age 24)	3	0	Cruzeiro	v.  Brazil, 10 September 2024
MF	Matías Galarza	(2002-02-11) 11 February 2002 (age 23)	8	1	Talleres	v.  Brazil, 10 June 2025 SUS
MF	Hugo Cuenca	(2005-01-08) 8 January 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Genoa	v.  Venezuela, 15 October 2024
MF	Álvaro Campuzano	(1995-06-12) 12 June 1995 (age 30)	4	0	Libertad	v.  Brazil, 10 September 2024
MF	Wilder Viera	(2002-03-04) 4 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Cerro Porteño	v.  Brazil, 10 September 2024
FW	Álex Arce	(1995-06-16) 16 June 1995 (age 30)	9	0	LDU Quito	v.  Colombia, 25 March 2025
FW	Alfio Oviedo	(1995-12-18) 18 December 1995 (age 29)	2	0	Tigre	v.  Bolivia, 19 November 2024
FW	Adam Bareiro	(1996-07-26) 26 July 1996 (age 29)	9	0	Al-Rayyan	v.  Brazil, 10 September 2024
COV Withdrew due to COVID-19 INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad RET Retired from the national team SUS Suspended WD Withdrew from the squad

Player Records

Players in bold are still active in international games.

Most Games Played

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Paulo da Silva	148	3	2000–2017
2	Justo Villar	120	0	1999–2018
3	Roque Santa Cruz	112	32	1999–2016
4	Carlos Gamarra	110	12	1993–2006
5	Cristian Riveros	101	16	2005–2018
6	Roberto Acuña	100	5	1993–2011
	Denis Caniza	100	1	1996–2010
8	Celso Ayala	85	6	1993–2003
9	José Saturnino Cardozo	82	25	1991–2006
10	Gustavo Gómez	81	4	2013–present

Most Goals Scored

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Roque Santa Cruz	32	112	0.29	1999–2016
2	José Saturnino Cardozo	25	82	0.3	1991–2006
3	Cristian Riveros	16	101	0.16	2005–2018
4	Saturnino Arrúa	13	26	0.5	1969–1980
	Julio César Romero	13	32	0.41	1979–1986
	Nelson Haedo Valdez	13	77	0.17	2004–2017
7	Óscar Cardozo	12	58	0.21	2006–2023
	Carlos Gamarra	12	110	0.11	1993–2006
9	Roberto Cabañas	11	28	0.39	1981–1993
	Miguel Ángel Benítez	11	29	0.38	1996–1999

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Group stage	9th	2	1	0	1	1	3	Squad		Qualified as invitees
1934	Did not enter										Declined participation
1938
1950	Group stage	11th	2	0	1	1	2	4	Squad		Qualified automatically
1954	Did not qualify										4	2	0	2	8	6
1958	Group stage	12th	3	1	1	1	9	12	Squad		4	3	0	1	11	4
1962	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	0	1
1966											4	1	1	2	3	5
1970											6	4	0	2	6	5
1974											4	2	1	1	8	5
1978											4	1	2	1	3	3
1982											4	1	0	3	3	6
1986	Round of 16	13th	4	1	2	1	4	6	Squad		8	3	3	2	14	8
1990	Did not qualify										4	2	0	2	6	7
1994											6	1	4	1	6	7
1998	Round of 16	14th	4	1	2	1	3	2	Squad		16	9	2	5	21	14
2002		16th	4	1	1	2	6	7	Squad		18	9	3	6	29	23
2006	Group stage	18th	3	1	0	2	2	2	Squad		18	8	4	6	23	23
2010	Quarter-finals	8th	5	1	3	1	3	2	Squad		18	10	3	5	24	16
2014	Did not qualify										16	3	3	10	17	31
2018											18	7	3	8	19	25
2022											18	3	7	8	12	26
2026	Qualification in progress										16	6	6	4	13	10
2030	Qualified as commemorative match hosts										Qualified as commemorative match hosts
2034	To be determined										To be determined
Total	Quarter-finals	8/22	27	7	10	10	30	38	—		188	75	43	70	226	225

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Copa América

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1916	Not a CONMEBOL member
1917
1919
1920
1921	Fourth place	4th	3	1	0	2	2	7	Squad
1922	Runners-up	2nd	5	2	1	2	5	6	Squad
1923	Third place	3rd	3	1	0	2	4	6	Squad
1924	Third place	3rd	3	1	1	1	4	4	Squad
1925	Third place	3rd	4	0	0	4	4	13	Squad
1926	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	8	20	Squad
1927	Did not enter
1929	Runners-up	2nd	3	2	0	1	9	4	Squad
1935	Did not enter
1937	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	8	16	Squad
1939	Third place	3rd	4	2	0	2	9	8	Squad
1941	Did not enter
1942	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	11	10	Squad
1945	Did not enter
1946	Third place	3rd	5	2	1	2	8	8	Squad
1947	Runners-up	2nd	7	5	1	1	16	11	Squad
1949	Runners-up	2nd	8	6	0	2	21	13	Squad
1953	Champions	1st	7	4	2	1	14	8	Squad
1955	Fifth place	5th	5	1	1	3	7	14	Squad
1956	Fifth place	5th	5	0	2	3	3	8	Squad
1957	Did not enter
1959	Third place	3rd	6	3	0	3	12	12	Squad
1959	Fifth place	5th	4	0	1	3	6	11	Squad
1963	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	1	1	13	7	Squad
1967	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	9	13	Squad
1975	Group stage	7th	4	1	1	2	5	5	Squad
1979	Champions	1st	9	4	4	1	13	7	Squad
1983	Third place	3rd	2	0	2	0	1	1	Squad
1987	Group stage	9th	2	0	1	1	0	3	Squad
1989	Fourth place	4th	7	3	1	3	9	10	Squad
1991	Group stage	6th	4	2	0	2	7	8	Squad
1993	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	2	7	Squad
1995		6th	4	2	1	1	6	5	Squad
1997		7th	4	1	1	2	2	5	Squad
1999		6th	4	2	2	0	6	1	Squad
2001	Group stage	10th	3	0	2	1	4	6	Squad
2004	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	1	1	5	5	Squad
2007		5th	4	2	0	2	8	8	Squad
2011	Runners-up	2nd	6	0	5	1	5	8	Squad
2015	Fourth place	4th	6	1	3	2	6	12	Squad
2016	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	3	Squad
2019	Quarter-finals	8th	4	0	3	1	3	4	Squad
2021		6th	5	2	1	2	8	6	Squad
2024	Group stage	14th	3	0	0	3	3	8	Squad
Total	2 Titles	39/44	180	64	43	73	267	311	—

Pan American Games

Pan American Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1951	Fourth place	4th	4	1	0	3	5	14
1955	Did not participate
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987	Preliminary round	9th	3	0	2	1	1	8
1991	Did not qualify
1995	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	0	2	4	3
Since 1999	See Paraguay national under-23 football team
Total	Fourth place	3/12	11	3	2	6	10	25

Team Honours

Continental Titles

• Copa América
  • Champions (2): 1953, 1979
  • Runners-up (6): 1922, 1929, 1947, 1949, 1963, 2011
  • Third place (7): 1923, 1924, 1925, 1939, 1946, 1959-I, 1983

Friendly Competition Wins

• Copa Chevallier Boutell (2): 1925 (shared), 1945
• Copa Trompowski (1): 1950
• Copa Paz del Chaco (6): 1963, 1977, 1980, 1991, 1995, 2003
• Lunar New Year Cup (1): 1968
• Copa Artigas (1): 1975 (shared)
• Copa Félix Bogado (2): 1977, 1983
• Copa Boquerón (1): 1988

Summary of Major Honours

Senior competition				Total
CONMEBOL Copa América	2	6	7	15
Total	2	6	7	15

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Paraguay para niños

• Paraguay national under-23 football team
• Paraguay national under-20 football team
• Paraguay national under-17 football team
• Paraguay national futsal team
• Football in Paraguay