What's the outlook for Miguel Almirón and Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup?

In 2010, Miguel Almirón — then a teenager in Cerro Porteño’s academy — watched as Paraguay advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Despite a close match in Johannesburg against Spain, David Villa’s goal in the 83rd minute sent La Roja to the semifinals. Eight days later, Villa and his Spanish teammates were celebrating their first world championship.

Six years later, Almirón eventually ended up being recruited to join a new Major League Soccer club in Atlanta by the man who led Paraguay to their best-ever finish in a World Cup, an Argentinian named Tata Martino. Two years after that, the two were MLS Cup champions.

As for Paraguay, it failed to build on its momentum for 2010 and missed the next three World Cups. Just over a decade and a half after that winter’s night in South Africa, though, Almirón and La Albirroja have returned to world football’s biggest stage. But how will they fare?

How Paraguay stacks up

First, it’s worth looking at Paraguay’s group in 2010 compared to 2026. Sixteen years ago in South Africa, Paraguay were drawn into Group F, where Italy, the defending champions, hoped to repeat for the first time since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Meanwhile, Slovakia qualified for the first time since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, while New Zealand was making its first trip since 1982.

Few expected Paraguay to win the group. Fewer expected a run to the quarterfinals and for it to come just minutes away from taking the eventual champions to a penalty shootout. (No one saw Italy finishing last in the group, either.)

Fast-forward to 2026, where Paraguay is in a Group D that includes Australia, Türkiye, and the United States. Should it finish second, it would potentially face Group G’s runner-up (Egypt?) in the Round of 32, with the winner moving to the Round of 16 in Atlanta against whoever comes out of the 1J winner/2H matchup. For argument’s sake, let’s assume it’s Argentina or Uruguay, respectively, which…well, never say never, but it will be a tough ask.

Should Paraguay win the group, it would match up in the Round of 32 with a third-place finisher from either Group B, E, F, I, or J. Considering it wins that one, it’s likely it will face Belgium in the Round of 16. Could we then see a Spain-Paraguay rematch in the quarterfinals? It’s entirely possible.

What will Miguel Almirón’s impact be in the World Cup?

Early in CONMEBOL qualifying, Almirón played on the right side. Lately, though, he’s been deployed by Gustavo Alfaro as a left winger in a 4-2-3-1 setup or as a wide-left midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation. There’s a chance that continues during the World Cup with 23-year-old Brighton man Diego Gómez on the roster and perhaps starting on the right.

The big question is how much impact Almirón will have. It’s clear that at 32, he’s nowhere near the player he was in 2017 and 2018 for both club and country. But if he can capture part of the form Atlanta players grew to enjoy during his first stint in the league, there’s no reason to think he won’t pop up with a few important plays during the tournament.

Almirón certainly realizes that his first World Cup will more than likely be his last. Younger players, like Gómez and Atlas’s Diego González, are waiting in the wings. No matter what happens, though, the memories he and his teammates make will last forever. Who knows? Maybe a few surprises are in store.

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