Gatito Fernández
Squad number 1 · Cerro Porteño
Their 2026 World Cup
Gatito Fernández travelled to the 2026 World Cup with Paraguay, wearing number 1, without ever getting on the pitch. His side played 5 matches (1 win, 2 draws and 2 defeats) and bowed out in the round of 16, beaten by France 1-0.
The goalkeeping job went to O. Gill (5 matches, 480′).
Another 2 players in the Paraguay squad ended up the same way, without a single minute. The full run is on the Paraguay team page.
Biography
Roberto Júnior Fernández Torres (born 29 March 1988), better known as Gatito Fernández, is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Paraguayan Primera División club Cerro Porteño and the Paraguay national team. He is known as Gatito (English: little cat or kitten) for being the son of former Paraguayan 1986 World Cup goalkeeper Roberto Fernández, nicknamed Gato (English: cat). Because of his father, who was a goalkeeper at Brazilian clubs, such as Internacional and Palmeiras, Gatito had lived in Brazil before his professional days.
Early career Fernández started his professional career with Paraguayan Primera División club Cerro Porteño in 2007. He became Paraguayan champion with the club in the 2009 Apertura. Following the achievement, he joined Argentine Primera División side Estudiantes de La Plata. After a season in the club without any first team appearance, he joined Racing. In August 2011, FC Utrecht announced the signing of Fernández on loan for one year to cover a possible departure of Michel Vorm.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: Javi11041995 · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)