Paraguayan model and superfan Marisol Olmedo has gone viral after being spotted in the stands at SoFi Stadium for her country’s World Cup opener, even as her team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to the United States in Los Angeles.
The hosts produced a dominant performance in Group D, with Folarin Balogun scoring twice after an own goal from Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla, before Gio Reyna completed the scoring with a fine strike in the final minute. Paraguay’s only moment of brief celebration came from a well-taken goal by Mauricio in the 73rd minute, which reduced the deficit to 3-1 but came too late to change the outcome of a match in which Paraguay had already looked well beaten.
Watching from the stands dressed in the colours of the Paraguayan flag was Olmedo, a model who has built a reputation as one of her country’s most prominent football fans. She shared a video of herself dancing in the stands at SoFi Stadium, captioning the footage: “Supporting you through everything, my beloved Paraguay.”
The match marked Paraguay’s first World Cup appearance since 2010, and thousands of fans have travelled to the United States to follow the team throughout the tournament. Olmedo has been documenting her own World Cup journey for her 225,000 Instagram followers, having flown to Los Angeles and based herself in Hollywood ahead of the opening fixture.
Before achieving online fame, Olmedo reportedly worked at a quarry as a teenager. Reflecting on her current profile in an interview with La Cuarta last year, she said: “I feel very flattered to be known internationally.” Beyond the national team, she is also a supporter of Club Guarani, a two-time champion of the Paraguayan league.
Olmedo is expected to head north from Hollywood for Paraguay’s second group match against Turkey in the San Francisco Bay Area on 19 June — a fixture in which Paraguay will need at least a positive result to keep alive hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds. The team’s final group match also takes place in the Bay Area, against Australia on 25 June.
Speaking after the defeat, Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro struck a measured tone, calling for his players to learn from the result. “At a World Cup you have to leave emotions to one side,” he told reporters. “What matters are decision-making, concentration and the details. United States won with absolute justice and clarity. They surpassed us tactically, they surpassed us technically and they surpassed us physically. We have to focus on getting the points we need to qualify. Today the World Cup started. It didn’t end today.”
