History - Paraguay

Paraguay participated in the first World Cup in 1930 and also appeared in the 1950 tournament. Throughout their history they have proven to be a competitive force in South American football as two Copa América wins attest.

Paraguay surprisingly qualified ahead of Uruguay (beating them 5-0 in the decisive game) for the 1958 World Cup with a team that contained a formidable attacking lineup with stars such as Juan Aguero, Jose Parodi, Juan Romero, Cayetano Ré and Florencio Amarilla. In their first game in Sweden, Paraguay were 3-2 up against France in a game they lost 7-3. A 3-2 win over Scotland and a 3-3 draw with Yugoslavia saw Paraguay finish third in their group.

The departure of several of their stars for European football (mainly Spain) resulted in a weakening of Paraguay's football fortunes somewhat, but they were only edged out by Mexico in the 1962 qualifiers. Paraguay fell short in subsequent World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Copa América success (and that of one of its premier clubs Olimpia in the Copa Libertadores) sured up Paraguay as a solid player on the continent.

Paraguay ended a 28-year absence from the World Cup in 1986 with a team starring midfield playmaker Romerito. They reached the second round where they were beaten 3-0 by England. Since then Paraguay have qualified for three successive World Cups and established a reputation as a defensively obdurate team.