Brazil is looking to secure their second consecutive victory as they head to Asuncion for a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Paraguay on Tuesday.
Currently, Brazil is in fourth place with 10 points, while Paraguay trails in seventh place, four points behind. Paraguay is entering this international break with a new manager, Gustavo Alfaro, who took over after Daniel Garnero was fired following a disappointing 2024 Copa America where they were eliminated in the group stage.
In that Copa America, Paraguay lost to Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, marking their first group-stage exit since 2016. Alfaro, who left his position as Costa Rica's head coach after defeating Paraguay in the tournament, started his tenure with Paraguay with a goalless draw against Uruguay on Friday. This result leaves Paraguay with six points, placing them in the inter-confederation playoff spot and two points away from automatic qualification.
With only one win from their seven qualifiers so far, Paraguay faces a tough challenge to beat Brazil, especially given their last victory over Brazil was a 2-0 home win back in June 2008. Their results in the current qualifying cycle at home have been mixed: a draw against Peru, a win over Bolivia, and a loss to Colombia.
Brazil, despite defeating Paraguay at the 2024 Copa America, had a lackluster tournament overall, drawing two group stage games and losing on penalties to Uruguay in the quarter-finals, marking their worst Copa America performance since 2016.
However, Brazil bounced back in their recent 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ecuador, with Rodrygo scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory, ending a four-game winless streak in qualifying. Since Dorival Junior took over as coach at the start of the year, Brazil has seen four wins and five draws.
Heading into Tuesday’s match, Brazil will be confident. They’ve won four of their last five encounters with Paraguay, including a 4-1 victory in the 2024 Copa America group stage, and have won their last three World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay without conceding, including a 2-0 away win in June 2021.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Paraguay defender Gustavo Gomez will miss the next match due to a one-game suspension after picking up his second yellow card during the goalless draw with Uruguay.
Veteran Fabian Balbuena is expected to step in for Gomez and partner with Getafe's Omar Alderete in central defense. Midfielder Mathias Villasanti is also in contention for a starting role, having come off the bench to play for over half an hour in the last game.
On the visitors' side, Brazil will be without Real Madrid’s Eder Militao, who is sidelined with an injury sustained before their win against Ecuador. Additionally, Borussia Dortmund’s Yan Couto, Manchester City’s Savinho, and Flamengo’s Pedro have all withdrawn from the squad due to various injuries.
Brazilian coach Dorival Junior might stick with the same lineup that faced Ecuador, which would see Luiz Henrique start for the second game in a row. Henrique will join Real Madrid stars Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in attack, while their teammate Endrick may need to settle for a spot on the bench.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Paraguay possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Velazquez, Balbuena, Alderete, Alonso; Gomez, Villasanti, Bobadilla; Almiron, Enciso, Pitta
Brazil possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Arana; Andre, Guimaraes, Paqueta; Henrique, Vinicius, Rodrygo
EXPERT PREDICTION
Paraguay 1-2 Brazil
