Highlights of the Paraguay 0-0 Ecuador 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

This is the message from the Paraguayan national team after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, something they hadn't done since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Congratulations to all the Paraguayan people.

Change in Ecuador's lineup. Pervis Estupiñán is replaced by Félix Torres Caicedo.
The home team also makes substitutions, bringing on Álex Arce and Damián Bobadilla to replace Andrés Cubas and Antonio Sanabria. 

The pace of the game slows down a bit and both teams become more inaccurate. However, with this result, plus the other results in the other qualifying matches, Paraguay is qualifying for the next World Cup in 2026. 

Paraguay had two chances in a matter of seconds. First, Ramón Sosa shot from the right side, but the goalkeeper saved it. A few seconds later, the ball reached Andrés Cubas, who shot from mid-range and hit the crossbar. 

First changes for the Paraguayan national team. River Plate midfielder Matías Galarza comes on and Platense striker Ronaldo Martínez goes off. Change of formation, leaving Sanabria as the only striker and bringing on a midfielder with great dynamism and speed. 

Fantastic save by Gustavo Gómez, denying what could have been Ecuador's opening goal. After a brilliant long pass from Pacho to Ángulo, he pivots perfectly, allowing Enner Valencia to attempt a first-time strike, only to be stopped by Gómez.

The visiting team receives their first yellow card of the match. Pedro Vite commits a strong tackle on Ronaldo Martínez during a midfield battle for possession, meaning that now both sides have one player officially booked.

The first half between Paraguay and Ecuador ends after 45 minutes with neither team scoring a goal. Rather than scoring opportunities, they generated approaches, but we were far from hearing the sacred cry reach the Defensores del Chaco stadium. 

The roles change in these final minutes, with Ecuador dominating and pushing Paraguay back into their own half. Fatigue begins to set in after a few intense minutes, where they gave their all in every play. 

Poor cross from winger Ramón Sosa, who breaks down the right wing and crosses for Sanabria, but the ball is a little too powerful and fails to connect with the striker's head. Paraguay continues to press forward in what is proving to be an entertaining match. 

Paraguay is coming alive in these final minutes. Through attacks down the wings and direct play from set pieces, Gustavo Alfaro's team is closing in on the goal that will see them through to the next round. We'll see if they can find the back of the net in Asunción today. 

Juan José Cáceres has just been spared a yellow card. A hard tackle with his knee on Nilson Angulo. A serious mistake by Brazilian Raphael Clauss. We remind you that the only player booked in the match is Junior Alonso in the 9th minute. 

Paraguay registers their first shot on goal. The Albirroja builds an attack down the right wing through Ramón Sosa, who fires a precise strike with the instep of his right foot, but Hernán Galíndez reacts brilliantly to make the save.

The visiting team has their first real opportunity to score, but the linesman raises the flag for offside. Enner Valencia immediately appeals for a penalty, yet the referee dismisses everything due to the Ecuadorian striker being clearly offside.

The first few minutes saw both teams battling for possession. Paraguay lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in attack, while Ecuador played a 4-4-2. It was an evenly matched and hard-fought contest in the opening minutes at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco.      

The match between Paraguay and Ecuador kicks off, valid for matchday 17 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Guaraní team is wearing their traditional kit, while the Ecuadorians are wearing their blue away kit. 

Both teams take to the green turf of the Defensores del Chaco stadium to play this match, valid for the seventeenth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Minutes away from the start of this match between these two teams, which could decide who qualifies for the World Cup. 

After warming up and preparing for the competition, both the Paraguayan and Ecuadorian teams return to their locker rooms to receive final instructions for the match and get dressed in their uniforms for kickoff.

A full house is expected at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium for this crucial match between Paraguay and Ecuador. No Paraguayan fan wants to miss what could be the decisive game in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Both the Paraguayan and Ecuadorian squads are already on the pitch at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco, carrying out their warm-up routines and final pre-match training ahead of this decisive 2026 World Cup qualifier.

There is just over half an hour to go before kickoff in the match between Paraguay and Ecuador, valid for the seventeenth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Just a few minutes to go before the start of this great duel between these two teams, which could see Paraguay qualify for the next World Cup. 

Four of the five CONMEBOL Qualifiers matches will kick off at the same time. The matches are: Argentina vs. Venezuela, Uruguay vs. Peru, and Colombia vs. Bolivia. An hour later, Brazil will face Chile in a clash between a qualified team and an eliminated team. 

It is  a pleasant evening in Asunción, where the thermometer marks 15 degrees Celsius but the breeze makes it feel colder inside Defensores del Chaco. A light drizzle is expected during the first half. 

These are the 11 players chosen by Sebastián Becacecce to face Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium. Despite already qualifying and only playing for points, the Argentine coach is keeping his best players and will go head-to-head against the Albirroja.

This is the starting lineup selected by Gustavo Alfaro to face Ecuador on matchday 17 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, keeping the backbone of Paraguay’s most decisive and symbolic match in the past 15 years.

We're back! We're ready to bring you all the action from the Paraguay vs. Ecuador match, valid for round 17 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. We invite you to follow the events of this match with us here at VAVEL.