San Jose State will serve as base camp for the Paraguay men’s national soccer team during the group stage of this summer’s World Cup, the school announced Wednesday.
Nicknamed ‘La Albirroja’ (The White and Red), Paraguay is returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and is participating in the tournament for the ninth time overall. Paraguay plays two of its Group D stage matches at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium — which will be temporarily rebranded as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the World Cup — after opening play against the U.S. on June 12 in Los Angeles. Paraguay’s Bay Area matches are June 19 against Turkey and June 25 against Australia.
The tournament kicks off June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where Mexico takes on South Africa.
Paraguay’s Diego Gomez controls the ball during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
“We are honored to welcome the Paraguay National Team to San Jose State University as their official Team Base Camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” SJSU president Cynthia Teniente-Matson said in a statement. “This historic partnership reflects the strength of our facilities, our commitment to excellence, and the vibrant, global spirit of Silicon Valley. Hosting La Albirroja on our campus is not only a proud moment for Spartan Athletics, but also an extraordinary opportunity to unite our students, alumni, and community around the world’s game.”
Six matches will be played at Levi’s Stadium, beginning with 2022 host Qatar against Switzerland on June 13.
The 49ers’ home stadium will then host a group-stage match every three days for the next week-plus: Austria-Jordan on June 16, Paraguay/Türkiye on June 19, Jordan-Algeria on June 22 and then Paraguay’s match against Australia. The winner of Group D (the U.S., Paraguay, Australia and Türkiye) will play a round of 32 game in Santa Clara on July 1.
Paraguay is currently ranked No. 40 in the FIFA world rankings. The U.S. is 16th, Turkey is 22nd and Australia is 27th.
Australia announced earlier that it will use the Oakland Roots’ Alameda facility as its home base.
SJSU facilities have often been used by out-of-town teams, including last winter by the Seattle Seahawks before their Super Bowl LX victory at Levi’s Stadium.
Paraguay will utilize the Spartan Soccer Complex alongside the stadium and SJSU’s high-performance athletic center.