Overview

• President Santiago Peña announced the day off on social media minutes after Paraguay clinched its place at the 2026 tournament.
• The Presidency formalized the measure through Decree No. 4522, endorsed by the Ministry of the Interior.
• The holiday applies nationwide on Friday, September 5, with hospitals, emergency care, pharmacies and critical staff excluded, along with strategic areas such as foreign trade and tax collection.
• Qualification was sealed with a 0-0 home draw against Ecuador before 45,000 spectators at Defensores del Chaco.
• The return ends a 16-year absence since South Africa 2010 as crowds gathered for celebrations across the country.