# 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 :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Group stage | 9th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1934 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1938 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1950 | Group stage | 11th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 1954 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1958 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| 1962 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1966 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1986 | Round of 16 | 13th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | 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 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2030 | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host | Qualified as centenary co-host |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 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

| World Cup | Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue | Scorers |
| 1930 | Group 4 | United States | 0–3 | L | Montevideo | — |
| 1930 | Group 4 | Belgium | 1–0 | W | Montevideo | L. Peña |
| 1950 | Group 3 | Sweden | 2–2 | D | Curitiba | A. López, C. López Fretes |
| 1950 | Group 3 | Italy | 0–2 | L | São Paulo | — |
| 1958 | Group 2 | France | 3–7 | L | Norrköping | F. Amarilla (2), J. Romero |
| 1958 | Group 2 | Scotland | 3–2 | W | Norrköping | J. Agüero, C. Ré, J. Parodi |
| 1958 | Group 2 | Yugoslavia | 3–3 | D | Eskilstuna | J. Parodi, J. Agüero, J. Romero |
| 1986 | Group B | Iraq | 1–0 | W | Toluca | Romerito |
| 1986 | Group B | Mexico | 1–1 | D | Mexico City | Romerito |
| 1986 | Group B | Belgium | 2–2 | D | Toluca | R. Cabañas (2) |
| 1986 | Round of 16 | England | 0–3 | L | Mexico City | — |
| 1998 | Group D | Bulgaria | 0–0 | D | Montpellier | — |
| 1998 | Group D | Spain | 0–0 | D | Saint-Étienne | — |
| 1998 | Group D | Nigeria | 3–1 | W | Toulouse | C. Ayala, M. Benítez, J. Cardozo |
| 1998 | Round of 16 | France | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | L | Lens | — |
| 2002 | Group B | South Africa | 2–2 | D | Busan | R. Santa Cruz, F. Arce |
| 2002 | Group B | Spain | 1–3 | L | Jeonju | C. Puyol (o.g.) |
| 2002 | Group B | Slovenia | 3–1 | W | Seogwipo | N. Cuevas (2), J. Campos |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | Germany | 0–1 | L | Seogwipo | — |
| 2006 | Group B | England | 0–1 | L | Frankfurt | — |
| 2006 | Group B | Sweden | 0–1 | L | Berlin | — |
| 2006 | Group B | Trinidad and Tobago | 2–0 | W | Kaiserslautern | B. Sancho (o.g.), N. Cuevas |
| 2010 | Group F | Italy | 1–1 | D | Cape Town | A. Alcaraz |
| 2010 | Group F | Slovakia | 2–0 | W | Bloemfontein | E. Vera, C. Riveros |
| 2010 | Group F | New Zealand | 0–0 | D | Polokwane | — |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | Japan | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–3 pen.) | D | Pretoria | — |
| 2010 | Quarter-finals | Spain | 0–1 | L | Johannesburg | — |

### Record by opponent

FIFA World Cup matches (by team) :
| 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

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 ||||
Linesmen: Martin Aphesteguy (Uruguay) Anibal Tejada (Uruguay)
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 ||||
Linesmen: José Macías (Argentina) Domingo Lombardi (Uruguay)

### 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.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 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 | |

### 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 | Teamvte | 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 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 0.750 | 3 | |
| 4 | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.667 | 1 | |

### 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.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 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 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Belgium | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 4 | Iraq | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | |
PARAGUAY: :
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández |
| DF | 2 | Juan Torales |
| DF | 3 | César Zabala |
| DF | 4 | Vladimiro Schettina | 45' |
| 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 | Alfredo Mendoza | | 88' |
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas |
| Substitutions: |||
| MF | 16 | Jorge Guasch | | 88' |
| Manager: |||
| Cayetano Ré |||
IRAQ: :
| GK | 1 | Raad Hammoudi Salman (c) |
| DF | 3 | Khalil Mohammed Allawi |
| DF | 4 | Nadhim Shaker Salim |
| DF | 5 | Samir Shaker Mahmoud | 29' |
| DF | 15 | Natiq Hashim Abidoun |
| DF | 22 | Ghanim Oraibi Jassim |
| MF | 6 | Ali Hussein Shihab |
| MF | 7 | Haris Mohammed Hassan | | 67' |
| MF | 14 | Basil Gorgis Hanna | | 81' |
| FW | 10 | Hussein Saeed Mohammed |
| FW | 8 | Ahmad Radhi Amaiesh |
| Substitutions: |||
| FW | 11 | Abdul-Rahim Hamed Aufi | | 67' |
| MF | 19 | Basim Qasim Hamdan | | 81' |
| Manager: |||
| Evaristo de Macedo ||||
MEXICO: :
| GK | 1 | Pablo Larios |
| DF | 2 | Mario Trejo | 80' |
| DF | 3 | Fernando Quirarte |
| DF | 14 | Félix Cruz |
| DF | 17 | Raúl Servín |
| MF | 16 | Carlos Muñoz |
| MF | 10 | Tomás Boy (c) | | 58' |
| MF | 13 | Javier Aguirre |
| FW | 22 | Manuel Negrete | 26' |
| FW | 15 | Luis Flores | | 77' |
| FW | 9 | Hugo Sánchez | 75' |
| Substitutions: |||
| MF | 7 | Miguel España | | 58' |
| FW | 5 | Francisco Javier Cruz | | 77' |
| Manager: |||
| Bora Milutinović ||||
PARAGUAY: :
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández |
| DF | 2 | Juan Torales | | 80' |
| DF | 3 | César Zabala |
| DF | 4 | Vladimiro Schettina | 30' |
| 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 | Alfredo Mendoza | 5' | 62' |
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas |
| Substitutions: |||
| MF | 16 | Jorge Guasch | | 62' |
| FW | 20 | Ramón Hicks | | 80' |
| 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 | Julio César Romero | 55' |
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira |
| FW | 11 | Alfredo Mendoza | | 68' |
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas |
| Substitutions: |||
| FW | 20 | Ramón Hicks | | 68' |
| Manager: |||
| Cayetano Ré |||
BELGIUM: :
| GK | 1 | Jean-Marie Pfaff |
| DF | 5 | Michel Renquin |
| DF | 19 | Hugo Broos |
| DF | 13 | Georges Grün | | 89' |
| MF | 21 | Stéphane Demol |
| MF | 6 | Franky Vercauteren |
| MF | 22 | Patrick Vervoort |
| MF | 8 | Enzo Scifo |
| MF | 11 | Jan Ceulemans (c) | 55' |
| FW | 16 | Nico Claesen |
| FW | 18 | Daniel Veyt |
| Substitutions: |||
| DF | 3 | Franky Van Der Elst | | 89' |
| Manager: |||
| Guy Thys |||
ENGLAND: :
| GK | 1 | Peter Shilton (c) |
| DF | 2 | Gary M. Stevens |
| DF | 3 | Kenny Sansom |
| DF | 5 | Alvin Martin | 37' |
| DF | 6 | Terry Butcher |
| MF | 16 | Peter Reid | | 58' |
| MF | 4 | Glenn Hoddle |
| MF | 17 | Trevor Steven |
| MF | 18 | Steve Hodge | 67' |
| FW | 20 | Peter Beardsley | | 80' |
| FW | 10 | Gary Lineker |
| Substitutions: |||
| DF | 15 | Gary A. Stevens | | 58' |
| FW | 9 | Mark Hateley | | 80' |
| Manager: |||
| Bobby Robson |||
PARAGUAY: :
| GK | 1 | Roberto Fernández |
| DF | 2 | Juan Torales | | 64' |
| DF | 3 | César Zabala |
| DF | 4 | Vladimiro Schettina |
| DF | 5 | Rogelio Delgado (c) |
| MF | 6 | Jorge Amado Nunes | 60' |
| MF | 10 | Adolfino Cañete |
| MF | 8 | Julio César Romero |
| FW | 7 | Buenaventura Ferreira |
| FW | 11 | Alfredo Mendoza |
| FW | 9 | Roberto Cabañas |
| Substitutions: |||
| MF | 16 | Jorge Guasch | | 64' |
| Manager: |||
| Cayetano Ré |||

### 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 | Teamvte | 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 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Spain | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 | |
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) |
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra |
| DF | 5 | Celso Ayala |
| FW | 9 | José Cardozo | | 70' |
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia |
| MF | 13 | Carlos Paredes |
| FW | 15 | Miguel Benítez | 45' |
| MF | 16 | Julio Cesar Enciso |
| MF | 19 | Carlos Morales | | 43' |
| MF | 21 | Jorge Campos | | 78' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza | | 43' |
| FW | 18 | César Ramírez | | 70' |
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
| GK | 1 | Zdravko Zdravkov |
| DF | 2 | Radostin Kishishev |
| DF | 3 | Trifon Ivanov (c) | 73' |
| DF | 4 | Ivaylo Petkov |
| MF | 5 | Ivaylo Yordanov |
| MF | 6 | Zlatko Yankov |
| FW | 8 | Hristo Stoichkov | 45' |
| FW | 9 | Luboslav Penev | | 68' |
| MF | 10 | Krassimir Balakov |
| MF | 11 | Ilian Iliev | | 77' |
| MF | 16 | Anatoli Nankov | 27' 89' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Emil Kostadinov | | 68' |
| MF | 18 | Daniel Borimirov | | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Hristo Bonev ||
Assistant referees: Achmat Salie (South Africa) Hussain Ghadanfari (Kuwait) Fourth official: Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)
| GK | 1 | Andoni Zubizarreta (c) |
| RB | 15 | Juan Carlos Aguilera |
| CB | 5 | Abelardo | | 56' |
| CB | 4 | Rafael Alkorta |
| LB | 12 | Sergi | 8' |
| RM | 17 | Joseba Etxeberria |
| CM | 6 | Fernando Hierro |
| CM | 18 | Guillermo Amor |
| LM | 21 | Luis Enrique |
| CF | 9 | Juan Antonio Pizzi | | 52' |
| CF | 10 | Raúl | | 65' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 7 | Fernando Morientes | | 52' |
| MF | 16 | Albert Celades | | 56' |
| FW | 19 | Kiko | 87' | 65' |
| Manager: ||
| Javier Clemente ||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) |
| DF | 2 | Francisco Arce | 76' |
| DF | 4 | Carlos Gamarra |
| DF | 5 | Celso Ayala | 30' | 73' |
| FW | 8 | Arístides Rojas | | 83' |
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| DF | 11 | Pedro Sarabia |
| FW | 15 | Miguel Benítez |
| MF | 16 | Julio César Enciso | 45' |
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza |
| MF | 21 | Jorge Campos | | 45' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 13 | Carlos Paredes | | 45' |
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | | 73' |
| FW | 18 | César Ramírez | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
Assistant referees: 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 | Sunday Oliseh | | 45' |
| DF | 16 | Uche Okafor |
| DF | 17 | Augustine Eguavoen | 25' |
| MF | 18 | Wilson Oruma | | 68' |
| DF | 19 | Ben Iroha | 38' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 21 | Godwin Okpara | | 45' |
| MF | 7 | Finidi George | | 68' |
| 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 | Miguel Benítez | 67' |
| MF | 16 | Julio César Enciso |
| FW | 17 | Hugo Brizuela | 77' |
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza | 55' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | 55' |
| MF | 10 | Roberto Acuña | 67' |
| FW | 8 | Aristides Rojas | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
Assistant referees: Mohamed Al Musawi (Oman) Mikael Milsson (Sweden) Fourth official: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)
| 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 | Emmanuel Petit | 69' |
| RW | 13 | Bernard Diomède | 76' |
| LW | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff |
| CF | 20 | David Trezeguet |
| CF | 12 | Thierry Henry | 64' |
| Substitutes: ||
| MF | 11 | Robert Pires | 64' |
| MF | 14 | Alain Boghossian | 69' |
| FW | 9 | Stéphane Guivarc'h | 76' |
| Manager: ||
| Aimé Jacquet ||
| GK | 1 | José Luis Chilavert (c) | 19' |
| RB | 2 | Francisco Arce | 84' |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra |
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala |
| LB | 11 | Pedro Sarabia |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| CM | 16 | Julio César Enciso | 32' |
| CM | 13 | Carlos Humberto Paredes | | 74' |
| AM | 21 | Jorge Luis Campos | | 55' |
| AM | 15 | Miguel Ángel Benítez | 23' |
| CF | 9 | José Cardozo | | 91' |
| Substitutes: ||
| MF | 7 | Julio César Yegros | | 55' |
| DF | 20 | Denis Caniza | | 74' |
| MF | 8 | Aristides Rojas | | 91' |
| Manager: ||
| Paulo César Carpegiani ||
Assistant referees: Nimal Wickeramatunge (Sri Lanka) Lencie Fred (Vanuatu) Fourth official: Esse Baharmast (United States)

### 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.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Slovenia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | |
All times local (UTC+9)
| GK | 22 | Ricardo Tavarelli | 90' |
| CB | 18 | Julio César Cáceres | 35' |
| CB | 5 | Celso Ayala |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) |
| RWB | 2 | Francisco Arce |
| LWB | 21 | Denis Caniza | 65' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña |
| CM | 6 | Estanislao Struway | | 86' |
| CM | 8 | Guido Alvarenga | | 66' |
| AM | 11 | Jorge Campos | | 73' |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 14 | Diego Gavilán | | 66' |
| MF | 16 | Gustavo Morínigo | | 73' |
| DF | 17 | Juan Carlos Franco | 90+3' | 86' |
| Manager: ||
| Cesare Maldini ||
| GK | 16 | Andre Arendse |
| RB | 4 | Aaron Mokoena | 3' |
| CB | 13 | Pierre Issa | 9' | 27' |
| 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 | Benni McCarthy | 38' | 78' |
| CF | 15 | Sibusiso Zuma | 45+2' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 9 | MacDonald Mukasi | | 27' |
| FW | 23 | George Koumantarakis | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Jomo Sono ||
Man of the Match: Francisco Arce (Paraguay)
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 | Luis Enrique | | 46' |
| CM | 8 | Rubén Baraja | 9' |
| CM | 17 | Juan Carlos Valerón | | 85' |
| LM | 11 | Javier de Pedro |
| CF | 7 | Raúl |
| CF | 10 | Diego Tristán | | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 4 | Iván Helguera | | 46' |
| FW | 9 | Fernando Morientes | | 46' |
| MF | 19 | Xavi | | 85' |
| 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 | Francisco Arce | 44' |
| LWB | 21 | Denis Caniza | | 78' |
| CM | 14 | Diego Gavilán | 60' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| CM | 13 | Carlos Paredes |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | 80' |
| CF | 20 | José Cardozo | | 63' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 11 | Jorge Campos | | 63' |
| MF | 6 | Estanislao Struway | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Cesare Maldini ||
Man of the Match: Fernando Morientes (Spain)
Assistant referees: Wagih Farag (Egypt) Brighton Mudzamiri (Zimbabwe) Fourth official: Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco)
| GK | 12 | Mladen Dabanovič |
| CB | 22 | Spasoje Bulajič |
| CB | 3 | Željko Milinovič | 79' |
| CB | 15 | Rajko Tavčar |
| RM | 7 | Đoni Novak |
| CM | 8 | Aleš Čeh (c) |
| CM | 11 | Miran Pavlin | 15' | 40' |
| LM | 19 | Amir Karić | 68' |
| AM | 18 | Milenko Ačimovič | | 62' |
| CF | 21 | Sebastjan Cimirotič |
| CF | 9 | Milan Osterc | | 77' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 13 | Mladen Rudonja | 69' | 40' |
| MF | 20 | Nastja Čeh | 81' | 62' |
| FW | 16 | Senad Tiganj | | 77' |
| 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 | Carlos Paredes | 4' 22' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña |
| CM | 8 | Guido Alvarenga | | 53' |
| CF | 20 | José Cardozo | | 61' |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 11 | Jorge Campos | | 53' |
| FW | 23 | Nelson Cuevas | | 61' | 92' |
| MF | 17 | Juan Carlos Franco | | | 92' |
| Manager: ||
| Cesare Maldini ||
Man of the Match: Nelson Cuevas (Paraguay)
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 | Marko Rehmer | | 46' |
| CB | 2 | Thomas Linke |
| LB | 21 | Christoph Metzelder | | 60' |
| RM | 19 | Bernd Schneider | 35' |
| CM | 16 | Jens Jeremies |
| CM | 13 | Michael Ballack | 90+2' |
| LM | 17 | Marco Bode |
| CF | 7 | Oliver Neuville | | 90+2' |
| CF | 11 | Miroslav Klose |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 15 | Sebastian Kehl | | 46' |
| DF | 4 | Frank Baumann | 71' | 60' |
| FW | 14 | Gerald Asamoah | | 90+2' |
| 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 | Carlos Bonet | | 84' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Acuña | 26' 90+2' |
| CM | 6 | Estanislao Struway | | 90+1' |
| CF | 20 | José Cardozo | 50' |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | | 29' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 11 | Jorge Campos | | 29' |
| MF | 14 | Diego Gavilán | | 84' |
| FW | 23 | Nelson Cuevas | | 90+1' |
| Manager: ||
| Cesare Maldini ||
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 | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 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)
| GK | 1 | Paul Robinson |
| RB | 2 | Gary Neville |
| CB | 5 | Rio Ferdinand |
| CB | 6 | John Terry |
| LB | 3 | Ashley Cole |
| DM | 4 | Steven Gerrard | 19' |
| RM | 7 | David Beckham (c) |
| LM | 11 | Joe Cole | | 83' |
| AM | 8 | Frank Lampard |
| CF | 10 | Michael Owen | | 56' |
| CF | 21 | Peter Crouch | 63' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 20 | Stewart Downing | | 56' |
| MF | 16 | Owen Hargreaves | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Sven-Göran Eriksson ||
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar | | 8' |
| RB | 21 | Denis Caniza |
| CB | 5 | Julio César Cáceres |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) |
| LB | 3 | Delio Toledo | | 82' |
| RM | 6 | Carlos Bonet | | 68' |
| CM | 13 | Carlos Humberto Paredes |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña |
| LM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| CF | 18 | Nelson Valdez | 22' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 22 | Aldo Bobadilla | | 8' |
| FW | 23 | Nelson Cuevas | | 68' |
| DF | 2 | Jorge Núñez | | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Aníbal Ruiz ||
* England wins first match with 1-0 victory in Group B
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 (Rwanda)
| GK | 1 | Andreas Isaksson |
| RB | 7 | Niclas Alexandersson |
| CB | 3 | Olof Mellberg (c) |
| CB | 4 | Teddy Lučić | 48' |
| LB | 5 | Erik Edman |
| DM | 6 | Tobias Linderoth | 14' |
| RM | 21 | Christian Wilhelmsson | | 68' |
| LM | 9 | Freddie Ljungberg |
| AM | 16 | Kim Källström | | 86' |
| CF | 10 | Zlatan Ibrahimović | | 46' |
| CF | 11 | Henrik Larsson |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | Marcus Allbäck | 60' | 46' |
| FW | 18 | Mattias Jonson | | 68' |
| FW | 17 | Johan Elmander | | 86' |
| Manager: ||
| Lars Lagerbäck ||
| GK | 22 | Aldo Bobadilla |
| RB | 2 | Jorge Núñez | 54' |
| CB | 5 | Julio César Cáceres |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) |
| LB | 21 | Denis Caniza | 3' |
| RM | 6 | Carlos Bonet | | 81' |
| CM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña | 51' |
| CM | 13 | Carlos Humberto Paredes | 74' |
| LM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | | 62' |
| SS | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | | 63' |
| CF | 18 | Nelson Valdez |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 19 | Julio dos Santos | | 62' |
| FW | 20 | Dante López | | 63' |
| MF | 8 | Édgar Barreto | 85' | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Aníbal Ruiz ||
* Sweden stun Paraguay two minutes from time in Group B
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)
| GK | 22 | Aldo Bobadilla |
| RB | 21 | Denis Caniza | | 89' |
| CB | 5 | Julio César Cáceres | | 77' |
| CB | 4 | Carlos Gamarra (c) |
| LB | 2 | Jorge Núñez |
| DM | 10 | Roberto Miguel Acuña |
| RM | 19 | Julio dos Santos | 54' |
| LM | 8 | Edgar Barreto |
| AM | 13 | Carlos Humberto Paredes | 30' |
| CF | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| CF | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 66' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 23 | Nelson Cuevas | | 66' |
| DF | 15 | Julio Manzur | | 77' |
| DF | 14 | Paulo da Silva | | 89' |
| Manager: ||
| Aníbal Ruiz ||
| GK | 21 | Kelvin Jack |
| RB | 11 | Carlos Edwards |
| CB | 5 | Brent Sancho | 45' |
| CB | 6 | Dennis Lawrence |
| LB | 3 | Avery John | | 31' |
| RM | 7 | Chris Birchall |
| CM | 19 | Dwight Yorke (c) |
| CM | 9 | Aurtis Whitley | 48' | 67' |
| LM | 18 | Densill Theobald |
| CF | 14 | Stern John |
| CF | 13 | Cornell Glen | | 41' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 15 | Kenwyne Jones | | 31' |
| MF | 16 | Evans Wise | | 41' |
| MF | 10 | Russell Latapy | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Leo Beenhakker ||
* Paraguay beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in Group B
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 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.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | |
All times local (UTC+02)
| GK | 1 | Gianluigi Buffon | | 46' |
| 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 | Claudio Marchisio | | 59' |
| RW | 7 | Simone Pepe |
| LW | 9 | Vincenzo Iaquinta |
| CF | 11 | Alberto Gilardino | | 72' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Federico Marchetti | | 46' |
| MF | 16 | Mauro Camoranesi | 70' | 59' |
| FW | 10 | Antonio Di Natale | | 72' |
| Manager: ||
| Marcello Lippi ||
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) |
| RB | 6 | Carlos Bonet |
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz |
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva |
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel |
| DM | 15 | Víctor Cáceres | 62' |
| RM | 13 | Enrique Vera |
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| LM | 17 | Aureliano Torres | | 60' |
| SS | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 68' |
| CF | 19 | Lucas Barrios | | 76' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 11 | Jonathan Santana | | 60' |
| FW | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | | 68' |
| FW | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | | 76' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
Man of the Match: Antolín Alcaraz (Paraguay)
Assistant referees: 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 | Kornel Saláta | | 83' |
| LB | 16 | Ján Ďurica | 42' |
| DM | 6 | Zdeno Štrba |
| CM | 17 | Marek Hamšík (c) |
| RW | 9 | Stanislav Šesták | 47' | 70' |
| LW | 7 | Vladimír Weiss | 84' |
| SS | 8 | Ján Kozák |
| CF | 11 | Róbert Vittek |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 13 | Filip Hološko | | 70' |
| MF | 15 | Miroslav Stoch | | 83' |
| Manager: ||
| Vladimír Weiss ||
| 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 | Enrique Vera | 45' | 88' |
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| AM | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 68' |
| SS | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz |
| CF | 19 | Lucas Barrios | | 82' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 17 | Aureliano Torres | | 68' |
| FW | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | | 82' |
| MF | 8 | Édgar Barreto | | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
Man of the Match: Enrique Vera (Paraguay)
Assistant referees: 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 | Víctor Cáceres | 10' |
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| CM | 13 | Enrique Vera |
| AM | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | 41' |
| AM | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 67' |
| CF | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | | 66' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | Lucas Barrios | | 66' |
| FW | 10 | Édgar Benítez | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
| GK | 1 | Mark Paston |
| RB | 4 | Winston Reid |
| CB | 6 | Ryan Nelsen (c) | 56' |
| LB | 19 | Tommy Smith |
| CM | 7 | Simon Elliott |
| CM | 5 | Ivan Vicelich |
| RM | 11 | Leo Bertos |
| LM | 3 | Tony Lochhead |
| AM | 10 | Chris Killen | | 79' |
| AM | 9 | Shane Smeltz |
| CF | 14 | Rory Fallon | | 69' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | Chris Wood | | 69' |
| MF | 22 | Jeremy Brockie | | 79' |
| Manager: ||
| Ricki Herbert ||
Man of the Match: Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay)
Assistant referees: 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. 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. After the match, Japan head coach Takeshi Okada resigned and Shunsuke Nakamura retired from international football.
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) |
| RB | 6 | Carlos Bonet |
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva |
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz |
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel |
| DM | 20 | Néstor Ortigoza | | 75' |
| CM | 13 | Enrique Vera |
| CM | 16 | Cristian Riveros | 118' |
| RW | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | | 94' |
| LW | 10 | Édgar Benítez | | 60' |
| CF | 19 | Lucas Barrios |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 60' |
| MF | 8 | Édgar Barreto | | 75' |
| FW | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | | 94' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
| GK | 21 | Eiji Kawashima |
| RB | 3 | Yūichi Komano |
| CB | 22 | Yuji Nakazawa |
| CB | 4 | Marcus Tulio Tanaka |
| LB | 5 | Yuto Nagatomo | 72' |
| DM | 2 | Yuki Abe | | 81' |
| CM | 17 | Makoto Hasebe (c) |
| CM | 7 | Yasuhito Endō | 113' |
| RW | 8 | Daisuke Matsui | 58' | 65' |
| LW | 16 | Yoshito Ōkubo | | 106' |
| CF | 18 | Keisuke Honda | 90+3' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Shinji Okazaki | | 65' |
| MF | 14 | Kengo Nakamura | | 81' |
| FW | 11 | Keiji Tamada | | 106' |
| Manager: ||
| Takeshi Okada ||
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.
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. 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. Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino stated he would be leaving his position at the end of his contract.
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar (c) |
| RB | 2 | Darío Verón |
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva |
| CB | 21 | Antolín Alcaraz | 59' |
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel | 71' |
| DM | 15 | Víctor Cáceres | 59' | 84' |
| RM | 11 | Jonathan Santana | 88' |
| CM | 8 | Édgar Barreto | | 64' |
| LM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| SS | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 72' |
| CF | 7 | Óscar Cardozo |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 13 | Enrique Vera | | 64' |
| FW | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | | 72' |
| FW | 19 | Lucas Barrios | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
| GK | 1 | Iker Casillas (c) |
| RB | 15 | Sergio Ramos |
| CB | 3 | Gerard Piqué | 57' |
| CB | 5 | Carles Puyol | | 84' |
| LB | 11 | Joan Capdevila |
| DM | 16 | Sergio Busquets | 63' |
| RM | 6 | Andrés Iniesta |
| CM | 8 | Xavi |
| LM | 14 | Xabi Alonso | | 75' |
| SS | 7 | David Villa |
| CF | 9 | Fernando Torres | | 56' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 10 | Cesc Fàbregas | | 56' |
| FW | 18 | Pedro | | 75' |
| DF | 4 | Carlos Marchena | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Vicente del Bosque ||
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 |
| 1 | Denis Caniza | 12 | 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 |
| 1 | Roque Santa Cruz | 12 | 2002, 2006 and 2010 |
| 3 | Roberto Acuña | 11 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| 3 | Carlos Gamarra | 11 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| 5 | Carlos Paredes | 9 | 1998, 2002 and 2006 |
| 6 | Celso Ayala | 8 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 6 | Julio César Cáceres | 8 | 2002, 2006 and 2010 |
| 6 | Nelson Valdez | 8 | 2006 and 2010 |
| 9 | Francisco Arce | 7 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 9 | Jorge Campos | 7 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 9 | José Luis Chilavert | 7 | 1998 and 2002 |
| 9 | Cristian Riveros | 7 | 2006 and 2010 |

## World Cup goalscorers

| World Cup | Player | Goals |
| 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 | 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 |