Isidro Pitta #25

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Pitta had already planned a summer holiday in Spain with his family, almost certain he wouldn’t be called up. But football had other plans. Just hours before the official announcement, Gustavo Alfaro called him to say he was Paraguay’s 26th and final player for the World Cup. “I wasn’t sleeping thinking about this. I was anxious, but I never lost hope,” Pitta said. Born in Tobatí (74km from Asunción), Pitta began his career at Cerro Porteño but failed to break through into the first team. He took the harder road, moving to Deportivo Santaní – 151km from the capital – where he fought to establish himself. Spells at Sportivo Luqueño and Olimpia followed, with the latter proving to be the club where he finally exploded. After a brief stint with Huesca in Spain, Pitta moved to Brazil. He impressed at Juventude and Cuiabá before joining Red Bull Bragantino, where he is currently shining under the nickname of ‘Viking’ due to his long hair and big ginger beard. A fighter, a tireless worker and a constant nuisance for opposition defences, Pitta presses high, wins duels and possesses a genuine goal threat.

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