Paraguay vs Bolivia

Estadio Antonio Aranda is the venue as Paraguay and Bolivia go head-to-head in a bottom-table FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying six-pointer.

Thanks to the extended number of qualification slots in the ongoing qualifying cycle, Paraguay’s three-game winless start (D1, L2) doesn’t rule them out of contention for a first World Cup appearance since 2010. They’re only two points adrift of the qualification line. But newly-appointed manager Daniel Garnero must handle a more pressing matter, with his side heading into proceedings as one of only two nations yet to score in the CONMEBOL qualifying group. Therefore, Bolivia’s upcoming visit to Ciudad del Este couldn’t have been timed any better, with Paraguay boasting a near-perfect all-time record against the continental minnows in home World Cup qualifiers (W9, D1). That said, ‘Los Guaraníes’ have drawn a blank in four of their last five World Cup qualifying matches on home soil (W1, D2, L2), suggesting there’s no room for complacency.

In the meantime, after a brace of somewhat expected defeats to CONMEBOL heavyweights Argentina and Brazil in the opening two qualifying outings, Bolivia slumped to a late 2-1 home loss to Ecuador last time out. Kevin Rodriguez’s 96th-minute winner broke the Bolivians’ hearts, but they at least made it competitive after returning a dismal -7 goal difference from the first two matches (GF:1, GA:8). Nailed to the bottom of the standings as the only pointless side, ‘La Verde’ come into this encounter in pursuit their first point in World Cup qualifying after seven consecutive defeats. However, a seven-game losing streak in away World Cup qualifiers hardly makes for good reading, especially considering they conceded 3+ goals in each game during that run. Moreover, they’ve only won three of their 85 all-time World Cup qualifiers on the road (D11, L71).