Paraguay will host Nicaragua on Friday at 19:15 at the Defensores del Chaco in the team’s final friendly before the 2026 World Cup, a match the federation expects will play to a full stadium and serve as the last live test of the starting group.
The result matters less than the minutes: Paraguay returns to the World Cup after 16 years and the coaching staff is expected to deploy most of its starters against Nicaragua so the manager can see combinations under real pressure. The projected XI being circulated includes Gatito Fernández, Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso, Diego Gómez, Alejandro Romero Gamarra, Andrés Cubas, Miguel Almirón, Julio Enciso and Antonio Sanabria.
Paraguay’s place in the summer’s tournament shapes the match’s urgency. The team is drawn into Group D with the United States, Turkey and Australia and will open the World Cup against the host side on Friday the 12th in Inglewood, play the European opponent on Saturday the 20th in Santa Clara and close on Thursday the 25th in the same city against the Oceania representative.
Gustavo Alfaro has publicly insisted he knows his plans—“Lo tengo decidido”—but he did not confirm a starting eleven for Friday, even as the staff signals it will hand most starters a run. That gap matters: the line between a full-strength dress rehearsal and a low-risk tune-up is minutes on the clock, and Alfaro’s silence leaves fans and commentators guessing who will play the full 90 and who will be spared ahead of a long tournament load.
Players will be released after the match until Saturday night, then rejoin the group at the airport for the trip to the United States. Midfielder Diego Gómez framed the mood from inside the camp: “Vamos a ir a dejar en alto a nuestro país,” he said, underlining that the friendly is as much about sharpening identity and morale as it is about final tactical checks.
For supporters, Friday is the last chance at home to see a side that has been rebuilt across qualifying’s ups and downs before it crosses the border for group play. The most useful detail for anyone going to the ground is simple: kick-off is 19:15 at Defensores del Chaco and expectations are that the core XI will be visible in the first half at least.
The real question when the referee blows the first whistle will be who Alfaro risks early and who he protects. The answer will determine how much the match tells us about Paraguay’s readiness for Group D and how much remains undecided when the squad departs Saturday night for its World Cup debut in Inglewood.
