Atlanta United’s Miguel Almirón has been at the center of two key moments for Paraguay during its first World Cup since 2010. Both were World Cup firsts. Neither was good.
During Paraguay’s 4-1 group stage-opening loss to the U.S. men’s national team on June 12, Almirón attempted to win a foul against Tim Ream in the second half. After Ream was shown a yellow card, video review reversed it and instead booked Almirón for simulation, the first time VAR had been used in that scenario. A week later against Türkiye, he became the first player sent off under FIFA’s rule prohibiting players from covering their mouths when addressing opponents, leaving him out of a 0-0 draw against Australia.
This wasn’t the history Almirón was looking to make for his team.
Now, though, comes the Round of 32 on Monday in Foxborough, as Paraguay faces Germany in La Albirroja‘s first World Cup knockout match in 16 years. Almirón was a teenager when a Tata Martino-led Paraguay took first place in a group that included Italy, New Zealand, and Slovakia, before beating Japan on penalties in the Round of 16. If not for an 83rd-minute goal from David Villa, it may well have taken eventual champion Spain to extra time in the quarterfinals.
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The road has been much bumpier in 2026. Almirón’s contributions have been extremely limited at this World Cup, mirroring his underwhelming return to Atlanta United — a spell that gives little reason for optimism once the MLS season resumes in mid-July. With Mauricio Culebro settling into his role as AMBSE’s president of soccer, there have likely been initial conversations with Chris Henderson about whether it’s worth keeping the 32-year-old on his DP contract. While the same argument can be made more vigorously about Emmanuel Latte Lath, Almirón shouldn’t escape that level of scrutiny despite his celebrated history with the club.
That’s another topic for another day, however. The focus now is on Germany, projected by many to win the tournament. Beating Japan, which was never in the running to win it all in 2010, was a seminal moment in Paraguay’s footballing history. Beating Germany, a four-time champion? Quite a different story.
And while Almirón’s impact in his first World Cup hasn’t measured up just yet, that could all change on one New England afternoon.
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Atl connection!! Having themselves a game!!
I’ll say it differently than Mic did…I hope for the best for him in this next match and hope he finds his form when he returns to AUFC. OTHERWISE, we may need to shop him.
Hoping for the best for Miggy in , most likely, his last WC match. I hope he scores and I also hope AUFC find a way to get rid of him.