Paraguay Returns to World Cup After 16 Years, and California is Celebrating

For Liliana Rodas and her family, June 2026 marks the return of a dream they thought might never come back. Paraguay qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years, and the celebration isn’t just happening in South America—it’s unfolding in a small bakery in Pacific Grove, where the smell of empanadas and yerba mate mingles with the electric energy of fans who never thought they’d see this moment again.

Inside Café Guarani, the Rodas family is serving up more than just traditional Paraguayan cheese bread and pastries. They’re serving connection. For owner Liliana Rodas, this moment feels surreal.“That was so, you know, incredible. Yeah. You know, it’s like a dream,”she said. The Paraguayan community in the U.S. numbers just 37,000 according to census data—a tiny fraction compared to other immigrant populations—which makes spaces like Café Guarani all the more vital. It’s not just a restaurant; it’s a cultural anchor where people can taste home and now, celebrate their homeland on the world’s biggest sports stage.

Soccer runs deep in the Rodas bloodline. Santiago Araujo Rodas remembers the last World Cup appearance in 2010, and his family’s soccer pedigree is no joke—his older brother played professionally, and his father competed alongside pros. For him, the magnitude of Paraguay’s return hits differently.“It’s incredible. It means a lot to the people because in Paraguay soccer is our sport,”he explained. That connection to home is so strong that Santiago and his family wasted no time securing tickets to see Paraguay face Australia in Santa Clara on June 25.“It’s a dream come true because I never thought that I would get the chance to even just travel less than three hours to go see my home country play,”he said.

What makes this story particularly striking is how World Cup moments transcend geography. Fans packing into Café Guarani on game day weren’t just supporting a team—they were sharing in their heritage. One regular customer, Sammi Castle, put it simply:“Paraguay. The food here is amazing. So we have the support.”Others admitted to nerves about facing the U.S., the host country, but remained convinced Paraguay had a legitimate shot. That combination of hope, tradition, and community pride is what transforms a soccer match into something much bigger: a celebration of identity in a country where you’re far from home.

For the Rodas family and the small but tight-knit Paraguayan community along the California coast, this World Cup isn’t just about the game. It’s about finally seeing their country on the world stage again—and being able to share that moment with people who understand what it means.