Preview: Peru vs Paraguay - prediction, team news, lineups

Estadio Nacional de Lima will be the backdrop for 2026 World Cup qualifying action on Tuesday when Peru welcome Paraguay for their final game in the CONMEBOL process.

La Bicolor are looking for a first win in five matches, while Los Guaranies are hoping to avoid a three-game winless run of their own.

Match preview

Peru parted ways with former manager Juan Reynoso after he started the nation's qualification campaign poorly, replacing him with interim boss Oscar Ibanez back in February.

While the caretaker manager won his first game in the hotseat 3-1 against Bolivia on March 21, he has yet to see an uptick in results more broadly after failing to win any of the four proceeding matches leading up to this clash.

Most recently, La Bicolor were beaten 3-0 on the road to Uruguay on Friday, leaving them ninth in the table with 12 points, a tally that means they can no longer catch Venezuela in the intercontinental playoff spot.

That also means that Peru have qualified for the World Cup on just one occasion since 1982, going out in the group stage during the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Regardless, Ibanez will be keen to round off the CONMEBOL process with another victory, and with just one defeat across their last 11 home matches, the hosts will be feeling confident of securing a positive result at the very least.

Meanwhile, Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay have confirmed their place at the 2026 World Cup, meaning that they are set to make their first appearance at the tournament since 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

On Friday, Los Guaranies dug deep to grind out a 0-0 draw with Ecuador, hanging on to earn a point despite producing just one shot on target compared to their opponents' three and undoubtedly being the lesser of the two teams on the day.

Performance levels aside, that stalemate will go down in history as the result that qualified Alfaro's men for the final in North America, given that they are sixth, and now an unassailable seven points clear of the playoff spot.

Looking to get back to winning ways as they begin preparations for next summer, the visitors will need to defy their shocking travelling record that features only two away victories since June 2021 in order to triumph.

A rare three points on the road this Tuesday could see Paraguay climb up to third in the table, leapfrogging Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay to go level with second-placed Brazil.

Peru World Cup Qualifying - South America form:

Paraguay World Cup Qualifying - South America form:

Team News

Peru do not have a lengthy absentee list, but they are likely to be without midfielder Erick Noriega and left-winger Kevin Quevedo on Tuesday after the pair picked up injuries against Uruguay.

As a result, Jesus Pretell could start in the centre of the park, while Ibanez could opt for Universitario's Jose Rivera out wide.

Paraguay were unable to select the likes of attacking midfielder Julio Enciso or centre-back Fabian Balbuena due to meniscus and ankle injuries respectively, but they have avoided any further issues this international break.

With Enciso and Balbuena working on a return to action in the coming months, Ronaldo Martinez should join Antonio Sanabria in a strike partnership for this clash, while Gustavo Gomez is paired with Omar Alderete at the heart of the defence.

Peru possible starting lineup:

Galesse; Advincula, Garces, Abram, Lopez; Cabrera, Gonzalez, Pretell, Yotun, Rivera; Ramos

Paraguay possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Caceres, G Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Sosa, D Gomez, Cubas, Almiron; Sanabria, Martinez