Paraguay cruised past Nicaragua 4-0 on Friday, with Miguel Almirón and Matías Galarza both finding the net in La Albirroja‘s World Cup send-off match in Asunción.
With Paraguay making its first World Cup appearance since 2010, the scenes before the match were remarkable, as you can see below:
The celebrations continued inside the Estadio Defensores del Chaco:
It was a relatively stress-free performance for Paraguay. Kaku scored from the spot in the 17th minute before Almirón made it 2-0 with a terrific left-footed strike in the 42nd minute. It was his first goal since October 10 against Japan:
In the second half, Paraguay extended its lead to 4-0 through Matías Galarza (62′) and Alexandro Maidana (67′). The mood briefly took a somber tone, though, in the first half as Julio Enciso appeared to suffer a leg injury. The 22-year-old Strasbourg midfielder went to ground and was shown in serious discomfort.
Paraguay’s next stop is its base camp at San José State University in California, with its World Cup opener next Friday at 9 p.m. ET against the United States at SoFi Stadium.
Every week, Scarves and Spikes brings you original interviews, on-site coverage, live shows/podcasts, and the analysis you won’t find at the bigger national outlets. With 2026 being a World Cup year, Atlanta United facing yet another important transfer window, the U.S. Soccer National Training Center setting up shop in the Atlanta area, and NWSL Atlanta kicking off in 2028, your support helps us do even more.
What you get on Patreon:
- Atlanta United training ground updates
- Discord access — talk Atlanta soccer with the SnS team and other supporters
- Patreon-only mailbags
- Grey Gowder’s analytical deep-dives on roster construction, the academy, ATL UTD 2, and more
Start your free trial
Plan Your World Cup 2026 Trip to Atlanta
Quick links to our Atlanta World Cup guides: