While Paraguay, who is preparing for its first World Cup since 2010, has yet to officially reveal its 26 participants, it announced a 55-man provisional roster on May 12 that included Atlanta United’s own Miguel Almiron and outgoing Atlanta player Matías Galarza.
This week, La Albirroja players started to arrive at CARDE, the APF’s national training center, with Almirón among the group getting there on Tuesday.
Almirón, according to Channel 13 in Paraguay, is in “peak condition” for the World Cup.
“I’m very happy to be back in my home country and to reunite with my teammates. I feel great, both physically and mentally; I’ve been preparing myself for what lies ahead,” Almirón said.
Paraguay’s near-term focus is on a June 5 friendly against Nicaragua in Asunción. After that, the team will head to their base camp at the Spartan Sports Complex on the campus of San José State University in California before opening against the USMNT at SoFi Stadium on June 12.
Naturally, anticipation is high in a country that hasn’t qualified for the World Cup in 16 years. It’s especially poignant for Almirón, who, at 32, could be making both his first and last appearance in the tournament. He took several moments to sign autographs and take pictures with fans gathered at the airport awaiting his arrival.
“We shouldn’t dwell on the bad times anymore; we have to enjoy what we’re experiencing now,” Almirón said. “The Paraguayan people deserve this, and hopefully, we can represent the country well.”
His relationship with Tata Martino is as strong as ever, too.
“To this day, ‘El Tata’ continues to help me,” he said. “I always say that he is one of the most important people in my career.
“Given his history in Paraguay, he has been a tremendous help to me—not only in footballing matters but also on a personal level.”
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He’s going to look world class against the USMNT, isn’t he?
Assuming you’re a US fan, I get where you’re coming from. I would say it depends heavily on his teammates. He’s nowhere near world class against garden variety MLS players when playing with ATL UTD, but I’m sure he has it in him under the right conditions.