Eduardo Berizzo highlighted Matías Catalán, a Chilean-Argentine defender who plays abroad, as the standout surprise among the 20 Chilean internationals based outside the homeland.
The forthcoming friendly between Chile and Paraguay was set for March 27 at the Monumental Stadium. Berizzo named 17 players who compete overseas in the run-up to the FIFA window, without naming the local players the media often tracks.
When is the Chile match?
The big surprise came with Catalán, an Argentine who plies his trade with Talleres. He was listed for the 2022 fixtures against Morocco and Qatar but didn’t make the final squad then. Now at 30, with a Chilean father and a career that includes time at San Lorenzo, Atlético Rafaela, San Martín de Tucumán, Atlético San Luis, and Pachuca, Catalán has settled into a central defensive role under Javier Gandolfi and has shown versatility that allows him to slot in on the right flank when needed. A player once observed by Jorge Sampaoli during his tenure with La Roja, Catalán has earned trust from Berizzo and is known to offer strength at center back and occasional width in attack. Following the ninth round of Chile’s national championship, the federation announced a list of six players currently active in domestic football: Brayan Cortés, Eugenio Mena, Esteban Pavez, Darío Osorio, Bruno Barticciotto, and Alexander Aravena.
However, the Universidad de Chile defender was cut from the camp after arriving with a bruise on his left thigh, which prevented normal training participation.
THE NOMINATES
archers
Claudio Bravo (Betis)
Gabriel Arias (Racing Club)
Brayan Cortés (Colo Colo)
defenses
Benjamin Kuscevic (Coritiba)
Guillermo Maripán (Monaco)
Gary Medel (Bologna)
Guillermo Soto (Hurricane)
Matías Catalán (Talleres)
Nayel Mehssatou Sepúlveda (Kortrijk)
Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse)
Paulo Díaz (River Plate)
Eugenio Mena (Universidad Católica)
midfielders
Felipe Méndez (CSKA Moscow)
Diego Valdés (Club América)
Arturo Vidal (Flamengo)
Marcelino Núñez (Norwich City)
Esteban Pavez (Colo Colo)
Dario Osorio (Universidad de Chile)
strikers
Diego Rubio (Colorado Rapids)
Alexis Sánchez (Olympique de Marseille)
Ben Brereton Díaz (Blackburn Rovers)
Víctor Dávila (León)
Juan Delgado (F.C. Paços de Ferreira)
Jean Meneses (Toluca)
Bruno Barticciotto (Palestino)
Alexander Aravena (Universidad Católica)
These are the players selected for the Paraguay warm-up who are active abroad, representing a core of talent across leagues in Europe, North America, and South America. Berizzo’s squad features a mix of seasoned internationals and younger players testing themselves against regional rivals ahead of the FIFA window.
There are 20 players named by Berizzo to represent Chile on the FIFA date who are based outside the country. Local selections will be confirmed in the days ahead, with media coverage following the official announcements. The Chilean football federation and national team supporters remain attentive to any updates as the team builds cohesion ahead of June fixtures.
— The Chilean national team’s social channels provided the initial roster outline and updates as the squad prepared for the Paraguay match and subsequent international duties.