Antolín Alcaraz

2.1. Childhood and Background

Alcaraz was born on July 30, 1982, in San Roque González de Santa Cruz, a town in the Paraguarí Department of Paraguay. Growing up in a modest environment, he spent his teenage years working as a builder's assistant in his hometown. During this period, he did not initially envision a future in professional football.

2.2. Amateur and Early Professional Attempts

His first steps in football were taken at Club Teniente Fariña, an amateur club located in Ñemby, Paraguay. At the age of 18, while still working as a builder, Alcaraz's talent was recognized by football scout and agent Carlos Bruni, who facilitated his move to Argentina to join Racing Club de Avellaneda. Despite this significant move, Alcaraz made minimal appearances during his tenure with the Argentine club, recording no official games.

In 2002, Alcaraz had a brief loan spell with the Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina. However, his time there was short-lived as the club faced bankruptcy, leading to their relegation to the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, a fourth-tier division. Following this, he underwent a trial with U.S. Città di Palermo, another Italian club, but this opportunity ultimately did not lead to a permanent move.

3.1. S.C. Beira-Mar

In January 2003, Antolín Alcaraz signed with the Portuguese club S.C. Beira-Mar. After making seven appearances in the latter half of the 2002-03 season, he quickly established himself as a central and dependable figure in the team's defense. He eventually earned the captain's armband, reflecting his growing influence within the squad. During the 2005-06 season, Alcaraz played a crucial role in helping Beira-Mar secure promotion back to the Primeira Liga, making 31 appearances during their successful campaign. He remained with the club for a total of five seasons.

3.2. Club Brugge

On April 30, 2007, a deal was finalized for Alcaraz to join Club Brugge KV in Belgium, with his transfer becoming effective in July of that year. After a relatively slow start during his first season, he steadily became a first-choice defender for the team. During his three-year tenure, Alcaraz contributed to Club Brugge achieving two third-place finishes and one second-place finish in the league. His strong defensive performances also helped the team advance to the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.

3.3. Wigan Athletic

On May 14, 2010, Antolín Alcaraz signed with English Premier League side Wigan Athletic on a free transfer, as his contract with Club Brugge was set to expire at the end of June. Wigan's manager, Roberto Martínez, expressed confidence in Alcaraz, stating that the player was in "the best form of his career" at the time of his arrival.

He scored his first goal for Wigan on September 11, 2010, netting an 86th-minute equalizer in a 1-1 home draw against Sunderland. However, his initial half-season at Wigan was challenging, marked by uncharacteristic clumsiness and uncertainty, with four errors leading to goals in the team's first ten conceded, and he also received a red card while captaining the team against Manchester United.

A significant moment in his Wigan career occurred on May 7, 2012, when Alcaraz scored the decisive and only goal in a match against Blackburn Rovers. This solitary goal secured Wigan's top-division safety for the season, while simultaneously relegating Blackburn to the Football League Championship. In May 2013, Alcaraz was a key part of the Wigan team that won the 2012-13 FA Cup, playing the full 90 minutes in a historic 1-0 upset victory over Manchester City in the final. Despite this triumph, just three days later, Wigan were relegated from the Premier League following a 1-4 away loss to Arsenal, with Alcaraz once again on the pitch. Following the season, his contract expired, and he became a free agent.

3.4. Everton

On July 9, 2013, Antolín Alcaraz made a move to Everton on a two-year deal, joining his former coach Roberto Martínez and teammate Joel Robles. His competitive debut for Everton was delayed due to an injury-plagued start to the 2013-14 season. He eventually made his first appearance on December 29, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-1 home victory against Southampton.

On April 26, 2014, Alcaraz unfortunately scored an own goal in the opening minute of a 0-2 loss to Southampton. On January 1, 2015, he received his first sending off as an Everton player, being shown two yellow cards in a 0-2 away defeat against Hull City, which marked the team's fourth successive loss during the festive period. On June 10, 2015, Alcaraz was released by Everton, departing as a free agent.

3.5. UD Las Palmas

On August 2, 2015, at nearly 33 years old, Antolín Alcaraz signed a one-year contract with newly promoted La Liga side UD Las Palmas, with an option for a second year. He scored his first goal for the club on September 23, contributing to a 2-0 home victory against Sevilla FC. However, his spell at the Estadio Gran Canaria was hampered by injuries, limiting him to only seven competitive appearances. By mutual consent, he departed the club on January 29, 2016.

3.6. Return to Paraguay

In February 2016, Antolín Alcaraz agreed to a deal to return to his home country and play for Club Libertad. He made his Paraguayan Primera División debut the following month, at the age of 33, in a 2-1 home victory against Cerro Porteño. With Libertad, he was part of the squad that won two Paraguayan Primera División titles: the 2016 Apertura and the 2017 Apertura championships.

On January 2, 2019, Alcaraz signed with Club Olimpia, another prominent club in the same league. In his debut campaign with Olimpia in 2019, he contributed to the team's victory in the national championship, marking another significant achievement in his domestic career.

4.1. 2010 FIFA World Cup

Alcaraz was selected as part of Paraguay's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. On June 14, in Paraguay's group stage opener against the reigning champions, Italy, he made a notable impact. In just his seventh international cap, he scored his debut goal for the national team, heading home a powerful header from a set piece in an eventual 1-1 draw in Cape Town. His performance in that match earned him the "Man of the Match" award. Alcaraz went on to play in all of Paraguay's matches during the tournament, except for one due to suspension, as the team advanced to the quarter-finals before being eliminated.

4.2. 2011 Copa América

Alcaraz maintained his status as a first-choice player for Paraguay during the 2011 Copa América, which took place in Argentina. On July 13, he scored the 1-1 equalizer against Venezuela in a group stage match that ultimately ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Four days later, in the quarter-finals against Brazil, he was involved in an altercation with Lucas Leiva and was subsequently sent off. Despite his absence, Paraguay continued to progress in the tournament, eventually finishing as runners-up.

6.1. Spitting Incident

On November 6, 2011, during a Premier League match in which Wigan Athletic suffered a 3-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium, Antolín Alcaraz became involved in a controversial incident. Replays of the match clearly showed him spitting at Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Richard Stearman. This action caused widespread condemnation. Following an investigation, the Football Association (FA) handed Alcaraz a three-game suspension for his conduct. In response to the incident, Alcaraz publicly issued an apology for his actions, acknowledging his error.

7.1. Marriage and Family

On July 30, 2007, Antolín Alcaraz married his Argentinian girlfriend, Evangelina. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Valentino, on November 10, 2007.

8.1. Club

8.2. International Goals

Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Alcaraz goal.

9.1. Club

Beira-Mar

• Segunda Liga: 2005-06

Wigan Athletic

• FA Cup: 2012-13

Libertad

• Paraguayan Primera División: 2016 Apertura, 2017 Apertura

Olimpia

• Paraguayan Primera División: 2019

9.2. International

Paraguay

• Copa América runner-up: 2011