By Louis Smith.
Paraguay earned Olympic qualification for the first time since 2004 back in February after stunning the whole of South America by lifting the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. This was the first time La Albiroja became champions at this level since way back in 1992.
During the tournament, they enjoyed four wins, and one of their key players was Wolverhampton Wanderers attacking Enso González who netted during Paraguay’s 3-3 draw with Argentina in the penultimate game.
González’s footballing journey began in Asuncion where he played futsal for club Atlántida y Presidente Hayes de Asuncion, a place where he developed close ball control, quick decision making and the ability to make a precise pass which he would eventually transfer onto the fields rather than the indoor football courts.
Then in 2018, aged just 13, González was picked up by Paraguayan giant, Libertad, where he would further continue his footballing development.
After five years playing within the youth ranks at Libertad, he was given his first team debut in a 1-0 loss to Cerro Porteno. Following that, he racked up a further eight appearances during the 2022 campaign.
2023 would be an even bigger year for the Paraguayan as he made his mark in his homeland as he played 39 times for Libertad scoring three times and providing two assists for his teammates, as Libertad claimed both the Apertura and Clausura titles, with the youngster being a standout performer.
“I adapted quite well because futsal helps a lot to improve technically, and that made it much easier for me,” González tells WFI.
“Becoming a champion with my club Libertad, in front of my family and my people was special.”
González was compared to former Libertad player Julio Enciso by his manager Daniel Garnero, nicknaming him the Diamond, whilst Enciso is known as the Jewel.
The youngster would emulate Enciso even further in August 2023, when he opted to move to England, joining Wolves for a fee of around €6 million.
“At first, I didn’t fully realize what I had achieved, but as the days went by, I got very excited and I take it as a great responsibility,” González said of his move to Wolves.
The 19-year-old has featured once for the first team at Wolves and has racked up plenty of game time for the u23 side as he continues to adapt to the English game and develop his game.
This is something that the aforementioned Enciso did in his early days at Brighton and González knows that with hard work and patience, more chances in the first team will come.
“At first, it was a bit difficult for me to adapt both on and off the field, but then I got much better accustomed, and I’m working to try to repay the confidence they placed in me,” he said.
“My first season at Wolves was tough because I didn’t get to play much, but I enjoyed the moment always. My happiest moment was when I made my official debut.”
Going back to the Olympic qualification is something that has been celebrated as a huge achievement in Paraguay, giving the country something to look forward to.
Their only ever medal at the games came in the men’s football event back in 2004 in Athens when Paraguay was narrowly beaten by fellow South Americans Argentina in the final, meaning they had to settle for a silver medal instead of a gold, something that González, already had his sights on.
“Back home, my whole family is very happy about what I achieved with the national team. Now my aim is to help bring a gold medal to Paraguay” he says.
Paraguay have been paired up with Mali, Japan and a team from UEFA. La Albirroja begin their campaign on Wednesday evening when they take on Japan in Bordeaux.
“We are preparing well as a team and we hope to bring back an Olympic medal to Paraguay,” González concluded.
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