Peru vs Paraguay: Projected lineups for Matchday 18 of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier game

With both nations having their fate sealed, Peru and Paraguay will clash for the last CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifier game.

Peru will host Paraguay in Matchday 18 of the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers at Estadio Nacional in Lima. With both nations’ fates already decided, each side will look to close out the campaign with a morale-boosting victory in their final competitive game before 2026.

Peru’s hopes of reaching the World Cup officially ended earlier this window. La Blanquirroja needed back-to-back wins in September to keep their slim playoff chances alive, but those aspirations were crushed in a 3-0 road defeat to Uruguay. The result mathematically eliminated them from contention.

Paraguay, on the other hand, arrives in Lima already celebrating. La Albirroja secured their spot at the 2026 World Cup with a scoreless draw against Ecuador on Thursday. The result guaranteed them sixth place in the standings, out of reach of Venezuela, and with it a direct ticket to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Paraguay celebrates historic qualification

For the first time since 2010, Paraguay will be back on soccer’s biggest stage. In fact, this will mark their ninth appearance in the World Cup. The historic qualification prompted the Paraguayan government to declare a national holiday last Friday, underlining the importance of the achievement.

Head coach Gustavo Alfaro was emotional in reflecting on the milestone but also clear about the team’s ambitions: “When we took on this challenge, we were convinced that we could achieve it. I don’t want to go to the World Cup just to take part — I want to go to compete for the very best.”

Projected lineups for Peru and Paraguay

Peru’s projected lineups (4-3-3): Pedro Gallese; Luis Advíncula, Carlos Zambrano, Renzo Garcés, Marcos López; Erick Noriega, Yoshimar Yotún, Sergio Peña; Andy Polo, Luis Ramos, Kenji Cabrera.
Head coach: Óscar Ibáñez.

Paraguay’s projected lineups (4-4-2): Roberto Fernández; Juan Cáceres, Gustavo Gómez, Omar Alderete, Junior Alonso; Diego Gómez, Andrés Cubas, Matías Galarza, Miguel Almirón; Alejandro Romero, Antonio Sanabria.
Head coach: Gustavo Alfaro.