Paraguay kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a tough 4–1 loss to the United States in Los Angeles. Despite the lopsided score, the match dominated soccer discussions. On The Pat McAfee Show, host Pat McAfee celebrated the victory, eagerly anticipating his next guest "after the ass beating they delivered to Paraguay." He later declared that the United States had just played the "best game they've ever played as a team, as a country, ever, against Paraguay." Over on The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker agreed, calling it "the performance" of the tournament so far.
Yet, some commentators felt the final score didn't do justice to the South American side's reputation. On the same episode of The Pat McAfee Show, soccer analyst Mike Grella argued that Paraguay is "pretty good" and "known for their defen- their defensive abilities," pointing out they had successfully beaten Argentina away from home during qualifiers. Eric Sollenberger of Pardon My Take backed up this sentiment, noting that during South American qualifying, Paraguay "had the best defense in South America."
The pre-game narrative had certainly cast the squad as a dangerous, physical opponent. Speaking on First Take, Roger Bennett compared playing Paraguay to fighting "a UFC fighter with a really good ground game who try and suck you into a world of hurt." To counter that physical threat, PFT Commenter explained on Pardon My Take that the American strategy was "just, like, fuck 'em up and press, and a- attack and press."
Beyond the pitch, Paraguay has had a busy week of diplomacy and domestic maneuvering. President Santiago Peña shifted the country's Constitution Day holiday to create a long weekend in hopes of boosting domestic tourism, while also hosting Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chen Ming-chi, to inspect development projects. Meanwhile, the U.S. military launched a joint medical mission in the country, ensuring that Paraguay remains a focal point of both geopolitical and athletic interest.