2026 FIFA World Cup Approaches as Teams Announce Preliminary Rosters
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearly here. The 48-team tournament is set to kick off in five weeks on Thursday, June 11, in Mexico City.
The U.S. Men’s National Team will compete in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and Turkiye. A maximum of three of those teams will advance beyond the group stage to clinch a position in the knockout round of the tournament.
We’ve covered what the USMNT is up to as the World Cup looms … but how are its Group D competitors faring? Here are the big soccer stories coming out of Paraguay, Australia, and Turkiye this week:
Paraguay
World Cup nations have two choices when it comes to naming their rosters: submitting a “preliminary” roster of 30-60 players and cutting it down later, or skipping straight to announcing the official 26-man squad. Teams that opt for the former publicize their preliminary rosters early, while teams that opt for the latter tend to make their announcements around two weeks before the World Cup begins.
Paraguay opted for the former. Coach Gustavo Alfaro announced a 55-man preliminary roster on Tuesday, May 12.
Much of Alfaro’s roster is familiar and unsurprising. We expected to see goalkeeper Orlando Gill, defenders Gustavo Gomez, Omar Alderete, and Junior Alonso, midfielder Miguel Almiron, and forwards Antonio Sanabria and Julio Enciso, and indeed they are all present and correct. But there was one big surprise here, and it was a welcome one: young star Diego Gomez.
Gomez, formerly of Inter Miami, injured himself a few weeks ago while playing for Brighton in the Premier League. He left the field in tears and appeared inconsolable at the time, leading many to wonder if his injury was serious enough to keep him out of the World Cup altogether. Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler eventually confirmed that Gomez’s knock wasn’t as bad as they initially feared, but still questions remained about Gomez’s fitness and recovery.
Gomez’s inclusion on this preliminary roster should answer them. If he’s fit enough to fight for his place, he’s likely fit enough to fight for Paraguay on the world’s biggest stage.