Paraguay celebrates historic World Cup victory with national holiday

Paraguay has advanced to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending a 16-year drought that stretches back to their last tournament appearance in 2010. President Santiago Peña declared September 5, 2025, a public holiday when the team initially secured qualification, and the celebrations have only intensified as Paraguay now prepares for a potential matchup against Germany in the next round.

From qualification drought to knockout stage

Paraguay earned its spot in the 2026 World Cup through a sixth-place finish in the expanded CONMEBOL qualifiers. A crucial 0-0 draw against Ecuador clinched the berth, setting off nationwide celebrations that prompted the presidential holiday declaration.

The team’s resurgence has been credited in part to coach Gustavo Alfaro, who took charge in August 2024. Under his leadership, Paraguay recorded historic victories over regional powerhouses Brazil and Argentina during the qualification cycle.

Prediction markets light up around Paraguay’s matches

Prediction markets like Polymarket have recorded notable trading volumes linked to Paraguay’s World Cup matches.

Kraken, one of the largest crypto exchanges globally, is recognized as an official supporter of the tournament. Chiliz, the blockchain platform built specifically around fan engagement, has seen positive activity with its CHZ token as the tournament progresses. While no specific fan token has been launched for the Paraguay national team, the ecosystem Chiliz has built, which allows fans to participate in club decisions and access exclusive content through tokenized voting, continues to expand its footprint during high-profile sporting events.

The growing intersection of sports and digital assets

Fan token volumes tend to spike around tournaments and fade during off-seasons. Prediction market liquidity follows the same pattern. The question for platforms like Chiliz and Polymarket isn’t whether they can capture attention during a World Cup. It’s whether they can retain users after the final whistle.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.