Paraguay Coach: We Faced Brazil and Argentina, Who Are Even Higher Ranked Than Germany

Paraguay will draw inspiration from their World Cup qualifying victories over Argentina and Brazil when they face four-time world champions Germany on Monday, according to head coach Gustavo Alfaro.

"We've faced Argentina, we've faced Brazil – teams of the same caliber, or perhaps even higher, than Germany. They are all favorites for the world title. We confronted them, and it was tough, but we managed," Alfaro stated at a press conference.

"We need to be clear about what we have. The match against Germany is, of course, a significant challenge, but we will give our absolute best on the field. We are playing against a formidable opponent," Alfaro added.

Paraguay returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, following a qualifying campaign that began poorly but was transformed with Alfaro's appointment in August 2024. He led the team to victories over their two neighboring South American football giants.

Paraguay's dreadful start to the World Cup, a 1-4 loss to co-hosts USA, was followed by a 1-0 victory over Turkey – a match where their squad was reduced to ten men, while their opponents had 33 attempts on goal – and a 0-0 draw with Australia. This was just enough for Paraguay to sneak into the knockout stage.

According to media reports, central midfielder Omar Alderete is injured. However, Miguel Almirón, another key player, will return after serving a suspension for a red card received for covering his mouth during an argument in the win against Turkey.