LAUSANNE, Switzerland — In a bid to place Paraguay on the global sports map for 2030, President Santiago Peña visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters to promote the country’s ambition to host the Youth Olympics.
The plan is for Asunción to serve as the venue for the 2030 Youth Olympics, coinciding with one of the opening matches of the men’s soccer World Cup that year.
Peña expressed the vision for Paraguay to become a hub for major sporting events, stating, “The idea behind this is to make Paraguay the center for many of these major sporting events,” during a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach.
The scale of the Youth Olympics, which featured around 4,000 athletes competing in 32 sports during its last event in Buenos Aires in 2018, is parallel to the Junior Pan-American Games that Paraguay is set to host in August.
Acknowledging Paraguay’s limited international visibility, Peña emphasized, “We have the organizational capacity,” while also reflecting on the fact that many people worldwide may not be familiar with the country. He estimated, “I would say that half the population never heard about Paraguay,” referring to it as “an exotic name” that sparks curiosity among potential visitors.
Securing the opportunity to host international sports events is seen as a promising method for enhancing the country’s global profile, with Paraguay also making a case for the 2031 Pan-American Games. Peña noted, “It’s an opportunity to raise the level of knowledge about the country,” highlighting the nation’s historically low engagement in such events.
Paraguay has a notable history in men’s soccer, having won its only Olympic medal—a silver—during the 2004 Athens Games. Currently, the Paraguayan national team is on track to qualify for the upcoming men’s 2026 World Cup in a joint tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
As part of the unique arrangement for the centennial World Cup, Paraguay stands to gain direct entry as one of the six co-host nations spread across three continents. Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay—hosts of the inaugural tournament in 1930—will each play one game before the tournament transitions to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Recent agreements with FIFA were announced in October 2023, paving the way for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup without competing bids.
Peña has been proactive in engaging with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, including meetings during the Paris Olympics and proposing to host a FIFA event in Paraguay. Infantino serves on the IOC and holds a vote in approving the host for the 2030 Youth Olympics, where interest from Denmark, India, and Thailand has also been noted. The 2026 Youth Olympics are set to take place in Dakar, Senegal.
A decision regarding the host for the 2030 Youth Olympics could arrive by the end of this year, albeit with potential changes as Bach’s presidency comes to a close in June. Peña expressed gratitude for the support from President Bach, stating, “He has been very generous with myself and with Paraguay.” He hopes that the months ahead will bring good news, confirming that Paraguay will host the Youth Olympic Games.
