If Atlanta United’s captain and club legend is known for anything, it’s his smile. Miguel Almirón’s grin is infectious, and he’s almost always wearing it. After a session at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground Thursday morning, that signature smile was even shinier.
Earlier that week, Almirón and his Paraguayan National Team secured qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. La Albirroja finished on 28 points after the grueling 18-match qualifying schedule against nine other South American teams, enough for sixth place in the group and the very last automatic qualification spot.
It’s a grand honor and a significant weight off Almirón’s shoulders, ending his country’s drought and helping Paraguay to its first FIFA World Cup since 2010.
“It’s one of my best achievements in my career,” Almirón said in Spanish after training Thursday. “It’s what I always dreamed of as a kid, to bring my country to a World Cup. There’s no comparison.”
As CONMEBOL qualifiers finished up this last week, Paraguay officially sealed the deal with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador Thursday, Sept. 4. While there were obvious and uncontrollable emotions of joy at the final whistle, Almirón said the team didn’t fully allow themselves to celebrate knowing they had one more match to play. After La Albirroja defeated Peru on the final matchday, the festivities began.
Almirón lives and breathes Paraguayan football, and his family was right there in Asunción to share the moment with him. His first instinct was to go home to see them. His mother, his father, his grandparents, the folks whose hard work enabled him to chase his footballing dream. Almirón mentioned how special it was seeing his grandpa, who couldn’t attend the match because he was sick, after qualifying.
“I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here and healthy,” Almirón said. “I can play this game, I can live it with my family, with the people of Paraguay. I was looking for this for nine years.”
He was 16 years old in 2010 when his beloved country last played in the biggest soccer tournament in the world. Almirón said he remembers watching the first match with his friends in his home.
“That fills you with pride, to see your country in this huge competition,” Almirón said. “You always dream of that.”
All these years later, here he is as a focal point of the Paraguayan national team, helping them to their first World Cup appearance in over a decade. It didn’t come without struggle. The Paraguay squad faced intense scrutiny from fans and media as the years added up without another World Cup qualification.
“It's also for all the people in Paraguay who have suffered a lot, but they've always come to support us and support the team,” Almirón said. “It's been a long process, and we've suffered through it, but everything comes in time at the right moment.”
The achievement is a testament to his devotion to the sport of football — not just playing but also succeeding. He helped bring a title to Atlanta in 2018, went to Newcastle and played a critical role in helping the club achieve Champions League football for the first time in two decades and now has delivered World Cup qualification to his national team.
In thinking ahead to what the competition will be like for Paraguay, Almirón recalled his experience with Newcastle in the Champions League. The English side were put in a group with Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. Almirón scored the first goal in a massive 4-1 upset win over PSG October 4, 2023.
He said he hopes Paraguay’s group is a strong one to push the team to perform. And that’s not at all a surprising answer if you know Miggy. He’s not one to take the easy path, and he gives everything he has for his team.
Almirón brings that fire to every match. El capitán loves nothing more than to play football and doesn’t shy away from a busy fixture schedule. He rejoined the 5-Stripes at the beginning of the season in the middle of the European calendar, jumping straight into the MLS season and playing every international break for his national team.
It’s been a marathon of a year for Miggy, but he’s a true professional when it comes to taking care of himself.
“I think it can affect my fitness unconsciously,” Almirón said of his packed schedule. “I work for that. I have my own physical therapist at home. I’m always working to improve and to feel healthy, not only to help my national team but also to give my best here in Atlanta.”
Almirón pours every ounce of his passion onto the pitch, no matter whether he’s wearing the Black and Red 5-Stripes or the Red and White of Paraguay. He puts it simply:
“It makes me happy, being inside the field of play.”
There’s a chance he could bring his two teams together, in a way. If the draw dictates, Paraguay could play a match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, his club’s home, during the World Cup.
“I think it would be something really beautiful for me,” Almirón said. “You all know what Atlanta means to me and my family and what Paraguay means to me. God willing, we’ll get to see that.”
