Club Nacional

Club Nacional is a Paraguayan professional football club based in the neighbourhood of Obrero in Asunción. Founded in 1904, the club currently plays in the Paraguayan Primera División, and holds its home games at Estadio Arsenio Erico.

Internationally, the club is referred to as Nacional Asunción, in order to distinguish itself from Uruguay's Nacional and Colombia's Atlético Nacional.

History

The club was founded on 5 June 1904, by a group of alumni of the Colegio Nacional de la Capital, one of the oldest public schools in Asunción. The club was originally named Nacional Football Club, taking the name from "Club Nacional de Football" the Uruguayan club, whose shield and three colors were taken to associate the national origin. It is also referred as related to the school the founders attended. Its first president was Víctor Paredes Gómez and white was selected as the team color because that was the color of the Nacional de la Capital School uniform. For the emblem of the club, the colors of the Paraguayan flag were chosen.[citation needed]

Nacional is one of the traditional teams in the Paraguayan league and they have won a total of nine championships so far. Their nickname "La Academia" (lit.'the academy') was given to them because of their excellent youth system that produced great players such as Arsenio Erico, who is considered as the best Paraguayan footballer of all time.[citation needed]

In 2009 Nacional won their first league title in 63 years.

In 2014, Club Nacional made history by reaching the Copa Libertadores final for the first time ever since its foundation, and by being only the second Paraguayan club to reach the final (after Olimpia).

The club began the campaign with a runner-up finish in the group stage. In the knockout stages, they defeated Argentine clubs Vélez Sarsfield and Arsenal de Sarandí. In the semi-finals, they beat Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting 2–1 on aggregate to set up a final with San Lorenzo. The first leg of the final was played in Asunción and ended 1-1. However, San Lorenzo won the second leg 1–0 at Estadio Pedro Bidegain and took the title with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Youth

One of the club's youth teams played at the 2009 Torneo di Viareggio, the 2010 Torneo di Viareggio, the 2011 Torneo di Viareggio, the 2012 Torneo di Viareggio and the 2013 Torneo di Viareggio.

Honours

National

• Primera División Winners (9): 1909, 1911 (undefeated), 1924, 1926, 1942, 1946, 2009 Clausura, 2011 Apertura, 2013 Apertura
• Plaqueta Millington Drake Winners (4): 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946
• División Intermedia Winners (3): 1979, 1989, 2003

Current squad

As of 11 April, 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notable players

To appear in this section a player must have either:

• Been part of a national team at any time.
• Played in the first division of any other football association (outside Paraguay).
• Played in a continental and/or intercontinental competition.

Managers

• Paraguay Ever Hugo Almeida (1992)
• Switzerland Daniel Raschle (2008–2009)
• Paraguay Ever Hugo Almeida (2009–2010)
• Paraguay Juan Manuel Battaglia (2010–2011)
• Argentina Javier Torrente (2012)
• Paraguay Gustavo Morínigo (2012–2015)
• Argentina Ricardo Dabrowski (2015)
• Switzerland Daniel Raschle (2015–2016)
• Paraguay Ever Hugo Almeida (2016–2017)
• Paraguay Roberto Torres (2017)
• Paraguay Celso Ayala (2017–2018)
• Argentina Fernando Gamboa (2018–2019)
• Paraguay Hugo Caballero (2019)
• Paraguay Aldo Bobadilla (2019)
• Paraguay Francisco Arce (2019)
• Paraguay Roberto Torres (2020)
• Uruguay Hernán Rodrigo López (2020–2022)
• Paraguay Pedro Sarabia (2022–2023)
• Argentina Juan Pablo Pumpido (2023–2024)
• Argentina Víctor Bernay (2024–2025)
• Paraguay Pedro Sarabia (2025–)

External links

• – unofficial website