Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has decided not to attend his country's match against France in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, justifying his decision by saying he believes in "football superstitions" and fears bringing bad luck to the team.
In statements to the local newspaper "Hoy," Peña explained that he receives an official invitation to attend all of the national team's matches, but this time he prefers to watch the match from his home.
He said: "As president, I always receive an invitation to attend the national team's matches, but I believe in superstitions and feel a bit pessimistic, so I prefer to watch the match from home so as not to bring bad luck to the team."This decision comes after the president attended Paraguay’s first match in the tournament, which ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat against the United States, before he was absent from the stands in the following matches, which witnessed the team’s resurgence, culminating in the elimination of Germany on penalties and qualification for the round of 16, an achievement that prompted him to declare the day of qualification a national holiday in the country.
For his part, Paraguay's coach, Gustavo Alfaro, likened the French team to a "thunderstorm," referring to the strength of the opponent
He said: "France represents a powerful thunderstorm, and our primary task is to protect ourselves from this storm."
He added that facing the former world champion is different from all previous matches, but it represents an opportunity to write a new page in the history of Paraguayan football, stressing that his team enters the match with great ambition despite the difficulty of the task.
Paraguay will meet France in a highly anticipated match in the round of 16, where the Latin American team seeks to continue its surprises, while "Les Bleus" look to advance to the quarter-finals.
