The twentieth round of Paraguay’s Clausura 2026 is expected to be postponed next weekend, clearing the way for the semi-finals of the Copa Paraguay. The main reason is the number of local-based players called up by the national team for the Asian tour against Singapore and Japan.
Call-ups disrupt the league schedule
Coach Gustavo Alfaro has named several domestic players for the friendlies, which are scheduled for Friday 13 and Tuesday 17 of this month. The squad includes Gastón Olveira, Mateo Gamarra and Eduardo Delmás from Olimpia, Santiago Rojas, Mauro Coronel and Hugo Adrián Benítez from Nacional, and Alan Benítez from Libertad. Their absence has led to the expected suspension of the league fixtures.
Cup semi-finals set for the weekend
The gap will be used for the semi-finals of the Copa Paraguay, which are set to be played on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15. The fixtures have yet to be officially scheduled, but the pairings are already known: Recoleta FC against Libertad, and Cerro Porteño against Sol de América.
A Libertadores spot at stake
The competition, also known as the Copa de Todos, awards one place in the Copa Libertadores as Paraguay 4. The winner, however, would have to navigate three qualifying stages before reaching the group phase.
One of the four semi-finalists cannot take that spot even if it wins the cup. Sol de América does not belong to the country’s top tier, and so it would be ineligible for the continental berth. The club, which has won the top-flight title twice, currently plays in the Intermedia division.
Source: www.abc.com.py
