Paraguay qualified through the gruelling CONMEBOL qualifiers and will be led by manager Gustavo Alfaro. Their opening match against hosts the USA in Los Angeles will be a real test. Paraguay is known for its unpredictable defensive strength.

Manager Gustavo Alfaro has named three goalkeepers for the Albirroja: Gatito Fernández, Orlando Gill and Gastón Olveira. Paraguay are taking part in the World Cup for the eighth time and will face the USA, Australia and Turkey in Group B. The trio of goalkeepers share a family history in goal-keeping spanning two generations, featuring one of South America’s most promising goalkeepers and an experienced shot-stopper from the Paraguayan league.

Gatito Fernández is 38 years old and his nickname is rooted in his family history. His father, Roberto Fernández Sr., was Paraguay’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he became known as ‘El Gato’, the cat. Consequently, his son became ‘Gatito’, the kitten. What has been passed down through the generations is not just the name: both men embody consistency, reliability and a career entirely dedicated to the Paraguayan national team.

Gatito enjoyed the peak of his career at Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, where he played a total of 218 competitive matches between 2017 and 2024 and became a crowd favourite. At the 2019 Copa América, he started in goal for all four of Paraguay’s matches and made two crucial saves in the penalty shoot-out against Brazil in the quarter-finals. At the start of 2025, he returned to his home club, Cerro Porteño. With over 30 international caps since 2011, he is Alfaros’ clear first choice and one of the most distinctive goalkeepers Paraguay has ever produced.

Gill is 25 years old, was born in San Lorenzo, Paraguay, and, at 198 cm, is one of the tallest goalkeepers in the entire World Cup tournament. He spent his entire youth career with the Paraguayan club of the same name, CS San Lorenzo, before moving to San Lorenzo de Almagro in Buenos Aires at the end of 2023, initially on loan, then on a permanent deal in January 2025 with a contract running until 2027. There, he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in the Argentine Primera División this season, making 15 appearances and keeping 17 clean sheets throughout the 2025 season. His market value rose to 4.7 million euros. He made his debut for the Paraguayan national team in 2025 and has been Alfaros’ second-choice goalkeeper ever since. The 2026 World Cup will be the first major international stage for a goalkeeper who could help shape South American goalkeeping for the next decade.

Olveira is 32 years old, was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and has spent his entire career in South America. After seven years at River Plate Montevideo, he moved to Club Olimpia in Asunción on loan in 2021, before joining the long-established Paraguayan club on a permanent basis in 2022. There, he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper and led Olimpia through several Apertura and Clausura campaigns. Notably, Olveira does not originally have Paraguayan roots and went through the process of obtaining Paraguayan citizenship in order to be eligible to play for the Albirroja. He did not make his international debut until 2026, just a few weeks before being named in the World Cup squad. As the third-choice goalkeeper, he provides backup for Alfaros, but brings with him the experience of a goalkeeper who has been between the posts for years at Paraguay’s strongest club.