Football in Paraguay

Football is by the most popular sport in Paraguay. Paraguay's national team has played at eight FIFA World Cup competitions and has won two Copa América tournaments. Olimpia Asunción is the country's most successful club in domestic and international competitions.[2][3] Paraguay's football leagues are divided into four divisions. In 2020, Paraguay's top-tier was ranked 8th in the world by the IFFHS.[4]

Football in Paraguay
Paraguay's national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
CountryParaguay
Governing bodyAsociación Paraguaya de Fútbol
National team(s)Paraguay
First played1867
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions
Audience records
Single matchOlimpia Asunción v. Cerro Porteño, 1983 (49, 095)[1]

History
Paraguay's biggest star,[5] José Luís Chilavert was chosen by the IFFHS as the best goalkeeper in the world on three occasions as 1995, 1997 and 1998 and figures amongst 48 legendary players by the IFFHS[6][7]

Football arrived to Paraguay in the late 1800s. There are differing versions as to how this happened. The most commonly held account is that of William Paats. This account has much primary source documentation (newspaper articles) As this version goes, football was first introduced in Paraguay by Dutchman William Paats, who moved from the Netherlands to Asunción (the capital of Paraguay) in 1888. During a trip to Buenos Aires Paats bought a football and brought it back to Asunción in order to teach the sport, which was unknown among Paraguayans.[8] At first, football was only practiced by the "elite" (upper class) but it soon became very popular and spread quickly throughout the whole country to people of all social classes.

Another version brings the genesis of football in Paraguay a bit further back, to 1886 and in the area around Borja. Miguel Angel Bestard, in his authoritative volume "Paraguay: One Century of Football" recounts a story about how English railroad workers organized games against the local Paraguayans. The English team was named "Everton", as a clear homage to the club from Liverpool, England, in the United Kingdom.

In 1900, small tournaments were held at the Plaza de Armas, a plaza located in downtown Asunción. Because of the huge success of the tournaments and the large attendances for the games, Paats decided to found the first Paraguayan football club, which he named Olimpia Football Club (later renamed Club Olimpia) in 1902. By 1906 the number of football clubs in Paraguay had increased and the Paraguayan Football Association (governing body of football in Paraguay) was founded. In 1910, Paraguay formed its first national squad to play against the squad from Corrientes, Argentina, but it would have to wait till 1919 for the Argentine national team to take a boat upriver on the Parana River and visit Asuncion for the first official international games Paraguay would ever play.

The Paraguayan Football Association joined CONMEBOL in 1921, and FIFA in 1925.

Paraguay against England at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Football has grown enormously since then, and there are over 1600 teams spread throughout Paraguay participating in bla leagues.[9] Each of those teams try to make their way to the first division by clearing the different levels of lower divisions. The growth and evolution of Paraguayan football can be seen in the achievements made in the club level and by the Paraguayan national football team. The national team has participated in eight FIFA World Cups, won two Copa América tournaments, and earned a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2004. All these accomplishments established Paraguay as the fourth most successful football nation in South America behind Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. At the club level, Olimpia Asunción has won a total of eight international tournaments, including three Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup.

Among the most important and successful football players in Paraguayan history are Arsenio Erico, Aurelio González, Romerito and José Luis Chilavert.[10]

In 2016, Roque Santa Cruz was regarded as one of the best players in the nation's history.[11]

National team
Main article: Paraguay national football team
Roque Santa Cruz is the national team's highest goal scorer with 32 goals

Paraguay's men's national team, nicknamed the Albirroja, is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association (Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol). The team has qualified for eight FIFA World Cup competitions, with their best performance coming in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals. Paraguay has been crowned champions of the Copa América on two occasions (in 1953 and 1979). Their highest FIFA World Rankings was 8th (March 2001) and their lowest was 103 (May 1995). Paraguay was awarded second place with Best Move of the Year in 1996 for their rise in the FIFA Rankings. The team's most successful period was under the coaching of Argentine Gerardo Martino, who was awarded with the South American Coach of the Year in 2007 and took Paraguay to the quarter-finals stage of the FIFA World Cup competition for the first time in history (in 2010) and also to the final of the 2011 Copa América, where Paraguay finished as runners-up. In Paraguay's entire history at the FIFA World Cup, only Carlos Gamarra and José Luis Chilavert have both been selected as part of the All-Star Team, being for the 1998 edition. Paulo da Silva holds the most appearances for the team with 148 matches and Roque Santa Cruz is the all-time leading goal scorer with 32 goals.

Television and Media

Television coverage of Paraguay's top-tier league, the Copa Paraguay and most of the second-tier, third-tier and fourth-tier leagues are televisionally transmitted by:

Internet coverage of Paraguayan football was accessible online until 2015 by football writer and Guinness World Records Latin American representative Ralph Hannah.[12][13][14][15]

League system
Main article: Paraguayan football league system
Former national team player Enrique Vera started his career in Paraguay's lower leagues

Paraguay's Football League System is divided into four divisions:

Promotion to the top-tier, second-tier and third-tier leagues begins from the country's fourth-tier leagues, regional and metroplitana. A club is disaffiliated from the fourth division if it finishes the season in the last position of the table.

Past Paraguay national team players, including Enrique Vera, Oscar Cardozo, Nelson Haedo Valdez, Antolín Alcaraz, Elvis Marecos, Pablo Zeballos, Paulo da Silva, Cristian Riveros and Victor Caceres all began their careers in Paraguay's lower leagues.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

As of the 2021 season, the winner of the División Intermedia would quaify directly for the Copa Sudamericana competition of the following season.[25][26]

Seasons

Current season: 2021 in Paraguayan football

Women's football
Main article: Paraguayan women's football championship

The Paraguayan women's football championship is the top level league competition for women's football in Paraguay. The winner qualifies for the Copa Libertadores de Fútbol Femenino, the South American Champions League. The competition is organised by the Paraguayan Football Association.

Superclásico
Main article: Paraguayan football derby

The Paraguayan derby or superclásico is between Club Olimpia Asunción and Club Cerro Porteño.

Players and records

Paraguayan Footballer of the Year
Main article: Paraguayan Footballer of the Year

The Paraguayan Footballer of the Year is an award given to the best Paraguayan professional football player every year. The award began officially in 1997 and it is presented by Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color.

Year Player Club(s) Ref.
1997 Carlos Gamarra Benfica [27]
1998 Carlos Gamarra Corinthians [27]
1999 Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia
Bayern Munich[lower-alpha 1]		 [27]
2000 José Cardozo Toluca [27]
2001 Roberto Acuña Zaragoza [27]
2002 José Cardozo Toluca [27]
2003 José Cardozo Toluca [27]
2004 Justo Villar Newell's Old Boys [27]
2005 Julio dos Santos Cerro Porteño [27]
2006 Óscar Cardozo Nacional
Newell's Old Boys[lower-alpha 2]		 [27]
2007 Salvador Cabañas América [27]
2008 Claudio Morel Rodríguez Boca Juniors [27]
2009 Óscar Cardozo Benfica [27]
2010 Lucas Barrios Borussia Dortmund [27]
2011 Pablo Zeballos Olimpia [27]
2012 Pablo Aguilar Sportivo Luqueño
Tijuana[lower-alpha 3]		 [27]
2013 Ángel Romero Cerro Porteño [27]
2014 Fernando Fernández Guaraní [27]
2015 Derlis González Dynamo Kyiv [27]
2016 Rodrigo Rojas Cerro Porteño [27]
2017 Miguel Almirón Atlanta United [27]
2018 Miguel Almirón Atlanta United [27]
2019 Roque Santa Cruz Olimpia [28]

Primera División Paraguaya Topscorers
Main article: Primera División de Paraguay topscorers

The following list only comprises the professional era and is missing data from 1906 to 1934 (amateur era).[29] A Top 10 table follows.

Nationality Player Goals Season
ParaguayFlaminio Silva341936
ParaguayFernando Fernández312014
ParaguaySantiago Salcedo302015
ParaguayJosé Vinsac301940
ParaguayTeófilo Salinas281939
UruguayHernán Rodrigo López272006
ArgentinaHéctor Núñez271994
ParaguayLeocadio Marín271947
ParaguayAtilio Mellone271943
ParaguayRoque Santa Cruz262019

Players who have played for both clubs in the Superclásico

Players who have played for Cerro Porteño and Olimpia Asunción. An Incomplete List follows.

Foreigner football players
Main article: List of foreign footballers in Paraguay

CONMEBOL foreign football players

For CONMEBOL or South American foreign football players in Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are the countries that have contributed most players to Paraguayan football.[43] Argentine football players, such as Roberto Acuña and Ricardo Ismael Rojas, played in for several years in Paraguay's leagues and even naturalized themselves to play for the national team.[44] Argentine Héctor Núñez,[45] Uruguayan Hernan Rodrigo Lopez and Brazilian Gauchinho are the only non-Paraguayan football players to be leading goalscorers of the Primera División Paraguaya in a single season, including the Apertura and Clausura. Héctor Núñez is the only foreign player to win the goalscoring title back-to-back (1994–1995), playing for Cerro Porteño. A Top 10 table follows.

Nationality Player Seasons Period
ArgentinaSergio Escalante132009–
UruguayHernan Rodrigo Lopez122002–2004
2005–2007
2012–2017
ColombiaVladimir Marin112007–2010
2011–2012
2016–2019
2021–
ArgentinaAlfredo Virginio Cano112007–2017
UruguayJuan Manuel Salgueiro102012–2013
2014–2016
2017–
UruguayDiego Ciz102007–2010
2011–2016
ArgentinaFabian Caballero101997–1998
1999–2000
2005–2006
2010
2012
2012–2014
ArgentinaGuido Di Vanni92012–2014
2014–2016
2016–2019
2020
ArgentinaDario Ocampo92011–2019

Non-CONMEBOL foreign football players

Most non-CONMEBOL or non-South American foreign football players in Paraguay's football leagues have come from African (CAF) countries, especially Cameroon, and from Asian (AFC) countries, especially Japan. Amongst the non-CONMEBOL foreign football players in Paraguay, the most iconic signing in Paraguayan football and the highest paid player in the country's history was the Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor, when he joined Olimpia Asunción in 2020.[46] Between 2008 and 2011, 30 under-15 footballers from Indonesia, including Zikri Akbar and Rahmanuddin played at diverse clubs in Paraguay's Football League.[47] In 2016, Trinidad and Tobago women's national team players Kennya Cordner and Kimika Forbes became the first CONCACAF players in to win a trophy in the CONMEBOL, being crowned champions of the Copa Libertadores Femenina with Paraguayan club Sportivo Limpeño.[48][49][50] A Top 10 table follows.

Nationality Player Seasons Period
United States of AmericaBryan Lopez82007–2014
JapanRiki Kitawaki82005–2012
CameroonKenneth Nkweta Nju72000–2005
2007–2008
CameroonTobie Mimboe61993–1996
2002
2004
CameroonArsenne Maffo52010–2014
AustraliaVictor Cristaldo51993–1997
South KoreaHee-Mang Jang42017–2020
JapanTamuka Sugano42002–2005
CameroonCelestine Romed Ngah Kebe32006–2008

Youngest debutants

An Top 5 list follows of the youngest players to debut in Paraguayan football.[51]

Nationality Player Age Date
ParaguayKevin Pereira14 years
7 months
21 days		5 September 2018[52]
ParaguayFernando Ovelar14 years
9 months
22 days		28 October 2018 [53][54][55]
ParaguayPedro Benítez15 years
1 day		24 March 1996[56]
ParaguayAriel Galeano15 years
19 days		10 September 2016[57]
ParaguayJesus Medina15 years
2 months
7 days		7 July 2012[58]

Youngest goal scorers

An incomplete list follows of the youngest goal scoring players in Paraguayan football.

Nationality Player Age Date
ParaguayFernando Ovelar14 years
9 months
22 days		28 October 2018[59]

Highest goal scorers

An incomplete list follows of the highest goal scoring players in Paraguayan football.

Nationality Player Goals
ParaguaySantiago Salcedo152[60]
UruguayHernan Rodrigo Lopez127[61]
ParaguayJuan Eduardo Samudio119[62]
ParaguayFredy Bareiro112[63]

Highest paid players

An incomplete list follows of the highest paid players in Paraguayan football. Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor became the highest paid player in the history of Paraguayan football when he joined Olimpia Asunción in 2020.[64][65]

Nationality Player Season Salary per month
TogoEmmanuel Adebayor2020USD$125, 000.00
(rounding off)[66]

Highest transfer

Since 1999, Roque Santa Cruz held the highest transfer fee from Olimpia Asunción to Bayern Munich for USD$6, 900, 000.00 before Juan Escobar was sold from Cerro Porteño to Mexican team Cruz Azul for USD$7, 000, 000.00 in 2019.[67] In January 2022, Julio Enciso was sold to FA Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion from Libertad for USD$9, 500, 000.00, a new record of highest transfer in Paraguayan football.[68]

Nationality Player Season Moving from Moving to Fee
ParaguayJulio Enciso2022Libertad Brighton & Hove AlbionUSD$ 9, 600, 000.00[69]

Clubs
Main article: List of football clubs in Paraguay

Mostly, football clubs in Paraguay count with the structure of several categories for all ages.

Categories for over-age players follow:

  • First teams
  • Substitutes
  • Reserve teams[70]

Categories for under-age players follow:

Stadiums
Main article: List of football stadiums in Paraguay
Cerro Porteño's Estadio General Pablo Rojas is Paraguay's most increased stadium in capacity

The country's most important stadiums are:

The mentioned were venues for the 1999 Copa América.[75][76] The Estadio Defensores del Chaco has more than 100 years as a stadium,[1] and it is one of the places with most history in Paraguayan football.[1] In 2015, the Estadio General Pablo Rojas which belongs to Club Cerro Porteño, began undergoing expansion and remodeling to become the most increased stadium in the country with a 51, 237 capacity.[77][78][79][80]

Other stadiums include:

The mentioned stadiums are venues of the Primera Division Paraguaya and have seating.[77]

See also

Notes
  1. Santa Cruz played the first half of 1999 for Olimpia, before being transferred to Bayern Munich in August 1999.
  2. Cardozo played the first half of 2006 for the Nacional, before being transferred to Newell's Old Boys in the second half of 2006.
  3. Aguilar played the first half of 2012 on loan to Sportivo Luqueño, and the second half of 2012 on loan to Tijuana.

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