# Football in Paraguay

Football is by far the most popular sport in Paraguay. Paraguay's national team has played at eight FIFA World Cup competitions and has won two Copa América tournaments. Olimpia Asunción is the country's most successful club in domestic and international competitions. Paraguay's football leagues are divided into four divisions. In 2020, Paraguay's top-tier was ranked 8th in the world by the IFFHS.

## History

Football arrived to Paraguay in the late 1800s. There are differing versions as to how this happened. The most commonly held account is that of William Paats. This account has much primary source documentation (newspaper articles) As this version goes, football was first introduced in Paraguay by Dutchman William Paats, who moved from the Netherlands to Asunción (the capital of Paraguay) in 1888. During a trip to Buenos Aires Paats bought a football and brought it back to Asunción in order to teach the sport, which was unknown among Paraguayans. At first, football was only practiced by the "elite" (upper class) but it soon became very popular and spread quickly throughout the whole country to people of all social classes.
Another version brings the genesis of football in Paraguay a bit further back, to 1886 and in the area around Borja. Miguel Angel Bestard, in his authoritative volume "Paraguay: One Century of Football" recounts a story about how English railroad workers organized games against the local Paraguayans. The English team was named "Everton", as a clear homage to the club from Liverpool, England, in the United Kingdom.
In 1900, small tournaments were held at the Plaza de Armas, a plaza located in downtown Asunción. Because of the huge success of the tournaments and the large attendances for the games, Paats decided to found the first Paraguayan football club, which he named Olimpia Football Club (later renamed Club Olimpia) in 1902. By 1906 the number of football clubs in Paraguay had increased and the Paraguayan Football Association (governing body of football in Paraguay) was founded. In 1910, Paraguay formed its first national squad to play against the squad from Corrientes, Argentina, but it would have to wait till 1919 for the Argentine national team to take a boat upriver on the Parana River and visit Asuncion for the first official international games Paraguay would ever play.
The Paraguayan Football Association joined CONMEBOL in 1921, and FIFA in 1925.
Football has grown enormously since then, and there are over 1600 teams spread throughout Paraguay participating in bla leagues. Each of those teams try to make their way to the first division by clearing the different levels of lower divisions. The growth and evolution of Paraguayan football can be seen in the achievements made in the club level and by the Paraguay national football team. The national team has participated in eight FIFA World Cups, won two Copa América tournaments, and earned a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2004. All these accomplishments established Paraguay as the fourth most successful football nation in South America behind Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. At the club level, Olimpia Asunción has won a total of eight international tournaments, including three Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup.
Among the most important and successful football players in Paraguayan history are Arsenio Erico, Aurelio González, Romerito and José Luis Chilavert.
In 2016, Roque Santa Cruz was regarded as one of the best players in the nation's history.

## National team

Paraguay's men's national team, nicknamed the Albirroja, is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association (Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol). The team has qualified for eight FIFA World Cup competitions, with their best performance coming in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals. Paraguay has been crowned champions of the Copa América on two occasions (in 1953 and 1979). Their highest FIFA World Rankings was 8th (March 2001) and their lowest was 103 (May 1995). Paraguay was awarded second place with Best Move of the Year in 1996 for their rise in the FIFA Rankings. The team's most successful period was under the coaching of Argentine Gerardo Martino, who was awarded with the South American Coach of the Year in 2007 and took Paraguay to the quarter-finals stage of the FIFA World Cup competition for the first time in history (in 2010) and also to the final of the 2011 Copa América, where Paraguay finished as runners-up. In Paraguay's entire history at the FIFA World Cup, only Carlos Gamarra and José Luis Chilavert have both been selected as part of the All-Star Team, being for the 1998 edition. Paulo da Silva holds the most appearances for the team with 148 matches and Roque Santa Cruz is the all-time leading goal scorer with 32 goals.
The women's team of Paraguay, also known as Albirroja, has lesser success, having never qualified for a single FIFA Women's World Cup, but has seen its recent rise in fortune. In the 2022 Copa América Femenina, Paraguay reached the semi-finals for only the second time after 2006, though this means Paraguay is now certain to have a potential spot for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup or at least going to the playoff stage.

## Television and Media

Television coverage of Paraguay's top-tier league, the Copa Paraguay and most of the second-tier, third-tier and fourth-tier leagues are televisionally transmitted by:
* Multideporte
* Unicanal
* Tigo Sports
* Tigo Max
* Telefuturo
* Paravisión
* TVC Sports 2
* GolTV
* TVC Sports
Internet coverage of Paraguayan football was accessible online until 2015 by football writer and Guinness World Records Latin American representative Ralph Hannah.

## League system

Paraguay's Football League System is divided into four divisions:
* Primera División
* División Intermedia
* Tercera Division
* Cuarta Division
Promotion to the top-tier, second-tier and third-tier leagues begins from the country's fourth-tier leagues, regional and metropolitana. A club is disaffiliated from the fourth division if it finishes the season in the last position of the table.
Past Paraguay national team players, including Enrique Vera, Oscar Cardozo, Nelson Haedo Valdez, Antolín Alcaraz, Elvis Marecos, Pablo Zeballos, Paulo da Silva, Cristian Riveros and Victor Caceres all began their careers in Paraguay's lower leagues.
As of the 2021 season, the winner of the División Intermedia would qualify directly for the Copa Sudamericana competition of the following season.

## Seasons

Current season: 2021 in Paraguayan football

## Women's football

The Paraguayan women's football championship is the top level league competition for women's football in Paraguay. The winner qualifies for the Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Femenino, the South American Champions League. The competition is organised by the Paraguayan Football Association.

## Superclásico

The Paraguayan derby or superclásico is between Club Olimpia Asunción and Club Cerro Porteño.

## Players and records
### Paraguayan Footballer of the Year

The Paraguayan Footballer of the Year is an award given to the best Paraguayan professional football player every year. The award began officially in 1997 and it is presented by Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color.
| Year | Player | Club(s) |
| 1997 | Carlos Gamarra | Benfica |
| 1998 | Carlos Gamarra | Corinthians |
| 1999 | Roque Santa Cruz | Olimpia Bayern Munich |
| 2000 | José Cardozo | Toluca |
| 2001 | Roberto Acuña | Zaragoza |
| 2002 | José Cardozo | Toluca |
| 2003 | José Cardozo | Toluca |
| 2004 | Justo Villar | Newell's Old Boys |
| 2005 | Julio dos Santos | Cerro Porteño |
| 2006 | Óscar Cardozo | Nacional Newell's Old Boys |
| 2007 | Salvador Cabañas | América |
| 2008 | Claudio Morel Rodríguez | Boca Juniors |
| 2009 | Óscar Cardozo | Benfica |
| 2010 | Lucas Barrios | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2011 | Pablo Zeballos | Olimpia |
| 2012 | Pablo Aguilar | Sportivo Luqueño Tijuana |
| 2013 | Ángel Romero | Cerro Porteño |
| 2014 | Fernando Fernández | Guaraní |
| 2015 | Derlis González | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 2016 | Rodrigo Rojas | Cerro Porteño |
| 2017 | Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United |
| 2018 | Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United |
| 2019 | Roque Santa Cruz | Olimpia |

### Primera División Paraguaya Topscorers

The following list only comprises the professional era and is missing data from 1906 to 1934 (amateur era). A Top 10 table follows.
| Nationality | Player | Goals | Season |
| Paraguay | Flaminio Silva | 34 | 1936 |
| Paraguay | Fernando Fernández | 31 | 2014 |
| Paraguay | Santiago Salcedo | 30 | 2015 |
| Paraguay | José Vinsac | 30 | 1940 |
| Paraguay | Teófilo Salinas | 28 | 1939 |
| Uruguay | Hernán Rodrigo López | 27 | 2006 |
| Argentina | Héctor Núñez | 27 | 1994 |
| Paraguay | Leocadio Marín | 27 | 1947 |
| Paraguay | Atilio Mellone | 27 | 1943 |
| Paraguay | Roque Santa Cruz | 26 | 2019 |

### Players who have played for both clubs in the Superclásico

Players who have played for Cerro Porteño and Olimpia Asunción. An Incomplete List follows.
* Carlos Bonet
* Carlos Gamarra
* Casiano Delvalle
* Diego Barreto
* Fabian Caballero
* Fredy Bareiro
* Gabriel Gonzalez
* Ivan Torres
* Nelson Cuevas
* Pablo Zeballos
* Rodrigo Rojas
* Sergio Aquino
* Sergio Goycochea
* Willian Candia

### Foreigner football players
#### CONMEBOL foreign football players

For CONMEBOL or South American foreign football players in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are the countries that have contributed most players to Paraguayan football. Argentine football players, such as Roberto Acuña and Ricardo Ismael Rojas, played in for several years in Paraguay's leagues and even naturalized themselves to play for the national team. Argentine Héctor Núñez, Uruguayan Hernan Rodrigo Lopez and Brazilian Gauchinho are the only non-Paraguayan football players to be leading goalscorers of the Primera División Paraguaya in a single season, including the Apertura and Clausura. Héctor Núñez is the only foreign player to win the goalscoring title back-to-back (1994–1995), playing for Cerro Porteño. A Top 10 table follows.
| Nationality | Player | Seasons | Period |
| Argentina | Sergio Escalante | 13 | 2009– |
| Uruguay | Hernan Rodrigo Lopez | 12 | 2002–2004 2005–2007 2012–2017 |
| Colombia | Vladimir Marin | 11 | 2007–2010 2011–2012 2016–2019 2021– |
| Argentina | Alfredo Virginio Cano | 11 | 2007–2017 |
| Uruguay | Juan Manuel Salgueiro | 10 | 2012–2013 2014–2016 2017– |
| Uruguay | Diego Ciz | 10 | 2007–2010 2011–2016 |
| Argentina | Fabian Caballero | 10 | 1997–1998 1999–2000 2005–2006 2010 2012 2012–2014 |
| Argentina | Guido Di Vanni | 9 | 2012–2014 2014–2016 2016–2019 2020 |
| Argentina | Dario Ocampo | 9 | 2011–2019 |

#### Non-CONMEBOL foreign football players

Most non-CONMEBOL or non-South American foreign football players in Paraguay's football leagues have come from African (CAF) countries, especially Cameroon, and from Asian (AFC) countries, especially Japan. Amongst the non-CONMEBOL foreign football players in Paraguay, the most iconic signing in Paraguayan football and the highest paid player in the country's history was the Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor, when he joined Olimpia Asunción in 2020. Between 2008 and 2011, 30 under-15 footballers from Indonesia, including Zikri Akbar and Rahmanuddin played at diverse clubs in Paraguay's Football League. In 2016, Trinidad and Tobago women's national team players Kennya Cordner and Kimika Forbes became the first CONCACAF players in to win a trophy in the CONMEBOL, being crowned champions of the Copa Libertadores Femenina with Paraguayan club Sportivo Limpeño. A Top 10 table follows.
| Nationality | Player | Seasons | Period |
| United States of America | Bryan Lopez | 8 | 2007–2014 |
| Japan | Riki Kitawaki | 8 | 2005–2012 |
| Cameroon | Kenneth Nkweta Nju | 7 | 2000–2005 2007–2008 |
| Cameroon | Tobie Mimboe | 6 | 1993–1996 2002 2004 |
| Cameroon | Arsenne Maffo | 5 | 2010–2014 |
| Australia | Victor Cristaldo | 5 | 1993–1997 |
| South Korea | Hee-Mang Jang | 4 | 2017–2020 |
| Japan | Takuma Sugano | 4 | 2002–2005 |
| Cameroon | Celestine Romed Ngah Kebe | 3 | 2006–2008 |

### Youngest debutants

A Top 5 list follows of the youngest players to debut in Paraguayan football.
| Nationality | Player | Age | Date |
| Paraguay | Kevin Pereira | 14 years 7 months 21 days | 5 September 2018 |
| Paraguay | Fernando Ovelar | 14 years 9 months 22 days | 28 October 2018 |
| Paraguay | Pedro Benítez | 15 years 1 day | 24 March 1996 |
| Paraguay | Ariel Galeano | 15 years 19 days | 10 September 2016 |
| Paraguay | Jesus Medina | 15 years 2 months 7 days | 7 July 2012 |

### Youngest goal scorers

An incomplete list follows of the youngest goal scoring players in Paraguayan football.
| Nationality | Player | Age | Date |
| Paraguay | Fernando Ovelar | 14 years 9 months 22 days | 28 October 2018 |

### Highest goal scorers

An incomplete list follows of the highest goal scoring players in Paraguayan football.
| Nationality | Player | Goals |
| Paraguay | Santiago Salcedo | 152 |
| Uruguay | Hernan Rodrigo Lopez | 127 |
| Paraguay | Juan Eduardo Samudio | 119 |
| Paraguay | Fredy Bareiro | 112 |

### Highest paid players

An incomplete list follows of the highest paid players in Paraguayan football. Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor became the highest paid player in the history of Paraguayan football when he joined Olimpia Asunción in 2020.
| Nationality | Player | Season | Salary per month |
| Togo | Emmanuel Adebayor | 2020 | USD$125, 000.00 (rounding off) |

### Highest transfer

Since 1999, Roque Santa Cruz held the highest transfer fee from Olimpia Asunción to Bayern Munich for USD$6, 900, 000.00 before Juan Escobar was sold from Cerro Porteño to Mexican team Cruz Azul for USD$7, 000, 000.00 in 2019. In January 2022, Julio Enciso was sold to FA Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion from Libertad for USD$9, 500, 000.00, a new record of highest transfer in Paraguayan football.
| Nationality | Player | Season | Moving from | Moving to | Fee |
| Paraguay | Julio Enciso | 2022 | Libertad | Brighton & Hove Albion | USD$9, 600, 000.00 |

## Clubs

Mostly, football clubs in Paraguay count with the structure of several categories for all ages.
Categories for over-age players follow:
* First teams
* Substitutes
* Reserve teams
Categories for under-age players follow:
* Under-20 teams
* Under-19 teams
* Under-18 teams
* Under-17 teams
* Under-16 teams
* Under-15 teams
* Formation Football Schools

## Stadiums

The country's most important stadiums are:
* Estadio Defensores del Chaco
* Estadio General Pablo Rojas
* Estadio Feliciano Caceres
* Estadio Río Parapití
* Estadio Antonio Aranda
The mentioned were venues for the 1999 Copa América. The Estadio Defensores del Chaco has more than 100 years as a stadium, and it is one of the places with most history in Paraguayan football. In 2015, the Estadio General Pablo Rojas which belongs to Club Cerro Porteño, began undergoing expansion and remodeling to become the most increased stadium in the country with a 51, 237 capacity.
Other stadiums include:
* Estadio Manuel Ferreira
* Estadio Dr. Nicolás Leoz
The mentioned stadiums are venues of the Primera Division Paraguaya and have seating.