Paraguay

Paraguay, nicknamed La Albirroja, are a CONMEBOL member and two-time Copa América champions, best known internationally for their resilient defensive style and a golden generation that reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2010.

Paraguay played their first official international against Argentina on 11 May 1919, losing 1–5 in Asunción. The team joined the South American Championship circuit and established themselves as competitive CONMEBOL members through the mid-twentieth century, winning their first continental title in 1953.

A second Copa América triumph followed in 1979, cementing Paraguay's place among South America's established football nations. The squad of that era combined hard-working domestic talent with a growing tactical identity under successive national coaches.

Paraguay's modern high-water mark came under coach Gerardo Martino between 2007 and 2011. That golden generation — featuring players such as Roque Santa Cruz, Salvador Cabañas and Édgar Barreto — reached the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa 2010 (eliminated by Spain) and the Copa América final in 2011, making Paraguay one of the surprise stories of that era.