Paraguay national football team: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Team colours
Home 　 Away
Associatoon
Paraguayan Football Association
Current coach
Aníbal Ruiz (2002-)
Most capped player
Carlos Gamarra: 100
Highest goalscorer
José Saturnino Cardozo: 26
First International
Paraguay 1 - 5 Argentina (Asunción, Paraguay; 11 March, 1919)
Largest win
Paraguay 7 - 0 Bolivia (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 30 April, 1949)
Largest defeat
Argentina 0 - 8 Paraguay (Santiago, Chile; 20 October, 1926)
World Cup
Finals appearances: 6 (First: 1930) Best result: Second round (1986, 1998, 2002)
Copa América
Finals appearances: 31 (First: 1921) Best result: Winners (1953, 1979)

The Paraguay national football team has reached the second round of the World Cup on three occasions (in 1986, 1998 and 2002) but has never advanced beyond that stage. Paraguay's only major tournament victories have come in the Copa América, in which they triumphed in 1953 and 1979. They also won a silver medal in the football tournament at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, being defeated 1-0 by Argentina in the final.

Paraguay's current squad is more well-known for it's defensive skill than it's ability to score goals, with players such as Denis Caniza and captain Carlos Gamarra being amongst it's most prominent members. However, the future of this strategy looks questionable due to the recent international retirement of defenders Francisco Arce and Celso Ayala, and that of world-famous goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert. Several key players are now in the latter stages of their career, so Paraguay will be looking to harness talent amongst the younger generation if they are to maintain the increase in status they have achieved over the past decade.

World Cup record

• 1930 - Round 1
• 1934 - Did not enter
• 1938 - Did not enter
• 1950 - Round 1
• 1954 - Did not enter
• 1958 - Round 1
• 1962 - Did not qualify
• 1966 - Did not qualify
• 1970 - Did not qualify
• 1974 - Did not qualify
• 1978 - Did not qualify
• 1982 - Did not qualify
• 1986 - Round 2
• 1990 - Did not qualify
• 1994 - Did not qualify
• 1998 - Round 2
• 2002 - Round 2

• 1916 - Did not enter
• 1917 - Did not enter
• 1919 - Did not enter
• 1920 - Did not enter
• 1921 - 4th
• 1922 - Runners-up
• 1923 - 3rd
• 1924 - 3rd
• 1925 - 3rd
• 1926 - 4th
• 1927 - Did not enter
• 1929 - Runners-up
• 1935 - Did not enter
• 1937 - 4th
• 1939 - 3rd
• 1941 - Did not enter
• 1942 - 4th
• 1945 - Did not enter
• 1946 - 3rd
• 1947 - Runners-up
• 1949 - Runners-up
• 1953 - Winners
• 1955 - 5th
• 1956 - 5th
• 1957 - Did not enter
• March 1959 - 3rd
• December 1959 - 5th
• 1963 - Runners-up
• 1967 - 4th
• 1975 - 7th
• 1979 - Winners
• 1983 - 4th
• 1987 - 9th
• 1989 - 4th
• 1991 - 6th
• 1993 - 8th
• 1995 - 6th
• 1997 - 7th
• 1999 - 6th
• 2001 - 10th
• 2004 - 6th

• Francisco Arce
• Celso Ayala
• José Saturnino Cardozo
• José Luis Chilavert
• Roberto Fernández
• Carlos Gamarra
• Aurelio González
• Juan Bautista Villalba