Naturalized as a Paraguayan in February 2026, midfielder Maurício, from Palmeiras, was called up for the first time to defend the Paraguayan national team. Coach Gustavo Alfaro included the player on the list for friendlies against Greece and Morocco at the end of March.
The athlete’s connection with the country comes from . Maurício is the grandson of a Paraguayan woman and recently explained that his father spent part of his life in Paraguay.
“Part of my father’s family is from Paraguay. My grandmother, now deceased, was Paraguayan. My father was born in Brazil, but he went there as a baby, spent his entire childhood and adolescence in Paraguay and returned to Brazil to work”, he stated.
In addition to Maurício, other players who play in Brazilian football appear in the squad: Gustavo Gómez and Junior Alonso, from Atlético-MG, Balbuena, from Grêmio, and Bobadilla, from São Paulo.
Paraguay faces Greece on March 27, in Athens. Four days later, he faces Morocco in Lens, France. The games are part of the team’s preparation, which returned to the World Cup after missing out on the last three editions.
