Paraguay and Uruguay will battle to confirm their place at next summer's World Cup when they face off in Asuncion in CONMEBOL qualifying on Thursday night.

Both nations are tied on 21 points, six clear of Venezuela outside the top six, with the two fully expected to reach the 2026 finals in North America.

Match preview

Paraguay can lay claim to being the story of qualifying if they get over the line and reach a first World Cup since 2010.

Gustavo Alfaro 's men did little to excite neutrals early in the campaign, scoring two and conceding three in their first nine qualifiers, but they have turned on the style in recent games and now are in a very strong position in the section.

The last five games have been the polar opposite, with La Albirroja scoring nine and picking up an im

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