Rise of a Football God-Chapter 513: FIFA World Cup 2026 [44]

(GROUP L:)

(Paraguay vs Sweden)

(Venue: BC Place, Canada)

(Date: June 29th, 2026)

(Time: 19:00)

At the same time that Belgium and Ecuador ducked it out at the MetLife, Sweden and Paraguay also confirmed their fates at the BC Place in Canada.

53,000 fans were in attendance.

The atmosphere was quiet at kickoff, but thunderous at the final whistle.

It was a tale of two halves; Sweden’s stumble, and Paraguay’s soar too late.

Paraguay came into this match needing a miracle: beat Sweden and pray for a favorable result in Belgium vs Ecuador.

Sweden, meanwhile, only needed a draw to guarantee top spot in Group L, but they were determined to finish with style.

And for a while, it looked like they would.

But Paraguay? Paraguay found fire in the second half, and nearly flipped the script on everything.

Sweden started in their usual 4-3-3, Robin Olsen in goal, Emil Krafth, Lindelof, Hien, and Augustinson in defense, while Svanberg, Olsson, and Elanga were in midfield.

The Swedish attack comprised Kulusevski, Victor Gyokeres, and Alexander Isak.

As for Paraguay, lining up in a 4-4-2, they had Gatito Fernandez in front of goal, and a defensive quadruple of Espinoza, Balbuena, Gomez, and Arzamendia.

The midfield quadruple comprised Angel Romero, Cubas, Almiron, and Matias Roja, while the 2-man attack comprised Enciso, and Oscar Cardozo.

The first half was all Sweden, their players playing with a certain swagger that overwhelmed the Paraguayan resistance.

The Swedes started sharply. Kulusevski and Isak played with rhythm, constantly combining on the right. Paraguay looked pinned, boxed in.

And then, BOOM!

Goal in the 11th minute. Victor Gyokeres.

Kulusevski fired a wicked low cross across the face of goal, and Gyokeres smashed it home from close range.

1-0 Sweden.

They doubled their lead in the 27th minute through Alexander Isak.

This one was pure class. A cheeky one-two between Isak and Svanberg near the box, before Isak cooly dinked the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

Sweden looked cruising. Paraguay looked crushed.

But momentum is a fragile thing.

The first half came to an end 2-0, all Sweden, and then, Paraguay made a halftime substitution, bringing on Antonio Sanabria and Derlis Gonzalez. And suddenly... energy!

Almiron pushed further forward. Cubas pressed higher. And all of a sudden, Sweden looked rattled.

Paraguay took advantage.

BAM!

They got what they were looking for in the 58th minute, a goal.

Almiron launched a looping cross from deep. Enciso timed his header perfectly and buried it past Olsen, ending a short but silky smooth move.

And just like that, 2-1.

But Paraguay weren’t done.

In the 76th minute of the game, they finally found a way back into the game through a penalty kick.

It was VAR drama as Arzamendia’s cross struck Krafth’s arm. After a lengthy check, the ref pointed to the spot.

The 41-year-old veteran, Cardozo, stepped up and sent Olsen the wrong way.

2-2. Wild scenes at the BC Place in Canada.

The final moments of the game was cagey.

Sweden nearly won it in the 89th minute, a thunderous long shot by Elanga striking the bar. Kulusevski’s rebound was saved point-blank by Gatito Fernandez.

Paraguay pushed one last time... but the whistle blew.

It was a draw, and with it, Sweden finished top of Group L on goal difference.

Paraguay finished last, despite never losing a match.

Miguel Almiron won the man of the match award with his game-changing assist, 5 successful dribbles, 3 key passes, and most importantly, his 100% heart.

He was the spark that turned Paraguay from passengers to predators.

Sweden’s coach had a few words to say at the end of the game.

"We started strong, but let them back in. That’s dangerous in knockout football. We must learn, quickly".

The Paraguayan coach also faced the media.

"We played for pride. We played for country. That second half was us. I’m proud of the boys".

Sweden survived a late scare, but questions remained about their defense.

Paraguay exited the tournament with heads held high, victims of the fine margins only the World Cup can deliver.

...

After what felt like a lifetime ago since it started, Sweden vs Paraguay brought an end to the FIFA World Cup group stage.

And now that Matchday 3 is complete and all 48 nations have completed their group stage games, the tournament could finally proceed to the Knockout Stage draws using the new 2026 FIFA World Cup format.

48 teams competed in 12 groups (A to L). the top 2 from each group (24 teams) automatically qualify for the knockouts, plus the 8 best 3rd-placed teams, making a total of 32 teams for the round of 32, the first of it at the FIFA World Cup.

After the Round of 32, then the Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and then the Final of the FIFA World Cup.

[Qualified Teams by Group:]

[Group Winners:]

>Group A: Ghana.

>Group B: France.

>Group C: Brazil.

>Group D: Argentina.

>Group E: Nigeria.

>Group F: Spain.

>Group G: Germany.

>Group H: England.

>Group I: Netherlands.

>Group J: Portugal.

>Group K: Uruguay.

>Group L: Sweden.

[Group Runners-up:]

>Group A: Japan.

>Group B: Morocco.

>Group C: Australia.

>Group D: Norway.

>Group E: Canada.

>Group F: Italy.

>Group G: Colombia.

>Group H: USA.

>Group I: Tunisia.

>Group J: Belgium.

>Group K: Mexico.

>Group L: Czech Republic.

[Best 3rd-Placed Teams (based on points, goal difference, goals scored):]

>Ukraine (Group I).

>Egypt (Group C).

>Switzerland (Group K).

>South Korea (Group B).

>Poland (Group A).

>Chile (Group D).

>Paraguay (Group L).

>Croatia (Group E).

(Note: Some teams qualify as 3rd from the same group where a 2nd-place team also advances.)

...

[Round of 32 Draw:]

1) Ghana vs Switzerland.

2) Spain vs South Korea.

3) Brazil vs Norway.

4) Argentina vs Tunisia.

5) Nigeria vs Ukraine.

6) England vs Belgium.

7) France vs Japan.

8) Portugal vs Mexico.

9) Germany vs Czech Republic.

10) Uruguay vs Canada.

11) Netherlands vs Poland.

12) USA vs Australia.

13) Sweden vs Morocco.

14) Colombia vs Italy.

15) Egypt vs Chile.

16) Croatia vs Paraguay.