Separated by just one place and one point in the CONMEBOL World Cup 2026 qualifying standings, Paraguay and Venezuela face off on Tuesday at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco. Gustavo Alfaro's men remain outside the coveted top six places after a goalless draw with Ecuador last time out, while their visitors lie in the inter-confederation playoff spot after a creditable 1-1 stalemate versus reigning world champions Argentina.

Paraguay, without a World Cup appearance since their remarkable run to the quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010, are hoping to end a long wait for another participation in the world’s biggest football event. Having already secured automatic qualification for the 2030 edition as co-hosts, the White and Red would still like to reach the 2026 World Cup on merit. However, their journey has been marked by inconsistency, with just 10 points collected from nine games so far. In their recent clash against Ecuador, Paraguay struggled to impose themselves, controlling only 23% of possession and facing 15 shots, yet their sturdy defense held firm, earning them a point and keeping them unbeaten in their last three qualifiers.

Despite a lackluster attacking display throughout the qualifiers, with just two goals scored—the lowest tally in the group—Paraguay’s defense has been exceptional, boasting the best defensive record in South America with only three goals conceded. Alfaro’s side has been slowly improving, highlighted by their shock 1-0 win over Brazil in September and a resilient draw against Uruguay. Heading into the match against Venezuela, Paraguay’s ability to stay defensively organized will be critical as they continue to fight for a top-six finish and avoid falling too far behind in the race for World Cup qualification.

Venezuela, on the other hand, have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the qualifiers, currently sitting seventh with 11 points, just one point ahead of Paraguay. Known historically as South America’s underdogs, Venezuela has never qualified for a World Cup, but their form under manager Fernando Batista suggests that might soon change. Their 1-1 draw against Argentina, where Salomon Rondon netted his 45th international goal to cancel out Nicolas Otamendi’s opener, underscored their growing resilience. In fact, Venezuela has drawn more games than any other team in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, with five stalemates from their nine matches thus far. While they may not be prolific scorers, they have been difficult to beat, with just one loss in their last eight qualifiers.

Tuesday’s encounter between Paraguay and Venezuela promises to be a battle of contrasting styles. Paraguay’s defensive prowess will be tested by Venezuela’s experienced attackers, led by Rondon, who remains a key figure up front. However, the visitors will have to do without the suspended Jose Martinez, a vital cog in their midfield who picked up his second booking in the match against Argentina. His absence could force Batista to reshuffle his midfield, potentially calling up Edson Castillo to fill the void. Meanwhile, Paraguay will welcome back Diego Gomez and Junior Alonso, both returning from suspension, and their presence could add steel to the home side’s lineup.

Historically, Paraguay has dominated the head-to-head encounters between these two teams, winning 19 of their 29 previous meetings. However, Venezuela has shown they are capable of upsetting the odds, having beaten Paraguay 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier last year. With both teams desperate for points, the stakes are high in Asuncion as they look to stay in the hunt for a coveted World Cup spot.

A 0-0 draw seems a likely outcome, as both teams may struggle to find the breakthrough in what could be a cagey and closely contested match.

在2026年美洲足联世界杯预选赛积分榜上，巴拉圭和委内瑞拉仅差一名和一分，他们将于周二在查科防御球场（Estadio Defensores del Chaco）进行对决。古斯塔沃·阿尔法罗（Gustavo Alfaro）的球队在上一场0比1战平厄瓜多尔后，仍然无缘梦寐以求的前六名，而他们的客队则在1比1战平卫冕世界冠军阿根廷后，进入了联合会间的附加赛席位。

巴拉圭自2010年在南非闯入四分之一决赛后就没有再参加过世界杯，他们希望能够结束漫长的等待，再次参加世界上最大的足球赛事。作为联合主办国，英国已经获得了2030年世界杯的自动参赛资格，他们仍然希望凭借实力进入2026年世界杯。然而，他们的征战之旅表现不稳定，目前为止9场比赛只拿到10分。在最近对阵厄瓜多尔的比赛中，巴拉圭难以控制自己，控球率仅为23%，面对15次射门，但他们坚固的防守岿然不倒，为他们赢得了一分，并使他们在最近三场预选赛中保持不败。

尽管在预选赛中，巴拉圭的进攻表现平平，只进了2个球，是小组中最低的，但巴拉圭的防守却异常出色，只丢了3个球，是南美洲最好的防守记录。阿尔法罗的球队一直在慢慢进步，他们在9月份以1比0击败巴西，并在对阵乌拉圭的比赛中表现出色。面对与委内瑞拉的比赛，巴拉圭保持防守组织的能力将是至关重要的，因为他们将继续为进入前六而战，并避免在世界杯资格的争夺中落后太多。

另一方面，委内瑞拉成为预选赛的惊喜组合之一，目前以11分排名第七，仅领先巴拉圭1分。历史上，委内瑞拉一直被认为是南美的失败者，从未进入过世界杯，但他们在主教练费尔南多·巴蒂斯塔（Fernando Batista）的带领下的状态表明，这种情况可能很快就会改变。他们1-1战平阿根廷队，所罗门·隆登打进了他的第45个国家队进球，抵消了尼古拉斯·奥塔门迪的首个进球，这凸显了他们日益增强的韧性。事实上，委内瑞拉在美洲杯预选赛中平局的次数比其他任何球队都多，迄今为止他们的9场比赛中有5场陷入僵局。虽然他们可能不是高产的射手，但他们很难被击败，在最近的八场预选赛中只输了一场。

周二巴拉圭和委内瑞拉的对决将是一场风格迥异的比赛。巴拉圭的防守能力将受到委内瑞拉经验丰富的攻击手的考验，以朗登为首，他仍然是前场的关键人物。然而，客队将没有停赛的何塞·马丁内斯，他是球队中场的重要一员，在对阵阿根廷的比赛中领到了他的第二张黄牌。他的缺席可能会迫使巴蒂斯塔重新洗牌中场，可能会召唤埃德森·卡斯蒂略来填补空缺。与此同时，巴拉圭将迎来停赛归来的迭戈·戈麦斯和小阿隆索，他们的出现将为主队的阵容增添力量。

从历史上看，巴拉圭在两队的交锋中占据主导地位，在之前的29次交锋中赢了19场。然而，在去年的世界杯预选赛中，委内瑞拉以1比0击败巴拉圭，证明了他们有能力打破胜率。两支球队都渴望积分，在亚松森的赌注很高，因为他们希望继续争夺梦寐以求的世界杯席位。

一场0-0的平局似乎是很可能的结果，因为两支球队可能都很难在这场可能是一场谨慎而激烈的比赛中找到突破。