Alfaro eyes history as Paraguay faces Australia in World Cup final

Gustavo Alfaro confirmed tactical changes for Paraguay’s meeting with Australia in Santa Clara, California, as the South American side chased a place in the World Cup’s new Round of 32. Alfaro said Paraguay had to manage the ball and the match against a team built on physical strength, and he called the game “a final for us.”

Paraguay entered the match after playing the United States on June 12 in Los Angeles and Turkey on June 19 in San Francisco. The Australia fixture carried even more weight because a victory would have given Paraguay its first-ever two wins in a single World Cup group stage. For a team trying to move beyond survival and into control, the stakes were measured in history, not just points.

The tournament marked Paraguay’s return to a World Cup for the first time since South Africa 2010. The team had missed three straight editions, in Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, before Alfaro rebuilt the side from a low point in qualifying. He took over in August 2024 when Paraguay had only five points from 18 available, then steered the team to qualification on September 4, 2025, after a 0-0 draw with Ecuador at home in Asunción.

Alfaro’s influence has been widely tied to Paraguay’s restored identity. He had already guided Ecuador through the road to Qatar 2022, and FIFA described Paraguay’s return as the work of a generation intent on rewriting the country’s football story. That renewed ambition traveled with players such as Miguel Almirón, Julio Enciso and Gustavo Gómez, who carried the team’s attacking and defensive weight into North America.

Against Australia, the assignment was tactical as much as emotional. Paraguay needed cleaner midfield circulation, more control of possession and a better grip on the rhythm of the game to avoid being dragged into Australia’s physical style. The standard for the program still runs through South Africa 2010, when Paraguay reached the quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to Spain on David Villa’s late goal. Beating Australia would have pushed Alfaro’s side beyond that mark and into territory Paraguay had never reached in a World Cup group stage.