Who Is Diego Gómez?

After the recent international break, Gustavo Alfaro’s Paraguay is one of the teams that inspired the most discussion, and Diego Gómez is one of Alfaro’s players who shone in both performances.

The 21-year-old aims to be, together with Julio Enciso, one of the big leaders of the senior national team in this CONMEBOL Qualifiers.

Paraguay and Inter Miami have a promising box-to-box midfielder who can be exploited in many positions because of his versatility in full development and resources.

Brighton already closed a deal for him, and he will become a ‘seagull’ once the present MLS ends.

In this Diego Gómez’s tactical analysis and scout report, let’s go deeper with an analysis of his profile and tactics that he is getting involved with.

Diego Gómez Style Of Play

Gómez started his professional path as a youngster at Club Libertad – the same team as Julio Enciso (Brighton), Enso González (Wolves), and now Rubén Lezcano and Rodrigo Villalba.

He has always been a standout in a physical sense.

Diego Gómez is 1.85m tall and weighs 73kg weight, making him strong in duels due to his powerful lower body which allows him to quickly accelerate, jump, press, and strike.

Jumping might be his biggest physical weakness.

While he gets involved in many aerial duels, his jumping reach is not as powerful as his acceleration or strike.

In the same way, another speciality from Gómez is his stamina.

He is running the most over 90 minutes and doing so very aggressively.

Also, his strong legs are his best weapon in duels, above all, defensive duels.

He imposes himself when he tries to steal the ball, and the rival wants to destabilise him or guard the ball.

Defensively, his physique gives him a fantastic territory for recovering crucial balls for his team frequently; he faces many defensive actions, as the below viz shows.

Diego Gómez Defensive Ability

Diego Gómez Shooting Ability

Furthermore, Gómez’s right-footed shots are dangerous from the top of the box.

Even with the outside of the boot, he is able to score from distance, as he did vs Brazil in the image below.

With his characteristics, he can be described as a box-to-box midfielder — an ‘8’.

The Paraguayan player loves to arrive when his team has possession.

As well as being aggressive in pressing and in duels, he is a player with a progressive mind.

He constantly looks to make unmarked runs in transition or two ways in positional attacking – firstly, waiting at the top of the box, his main shot register.

Secondly, loading the box to open space for his teammates.

Diego Gómez Shot Map

As his shot map shows, Gómez at Inter Miami has had a good volume of shots per match, taking into account his role — one every 58 minutes this season.

In the MLS, he has played mainly as a left-centre midfielder—this ideal ‘8’ role.

His capacity to be important in each phase of the game explains why Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Tata Martino has decided to give him the largest territory to cover.

Regardless, he keeps responding with direct numbers in the opposition’s box at Miami.

He already scored his first goal for the senior national team in Paraguay; he also scored once in the Olympic games and five times in the pre-Olympics — all in 2024.

Gómez’s Ball-Driving Ability

Looking in progressive terms—as modern football always asks of a player—Diego Gómez’s powerful lower body is great for carrying explosively and quickly.

He is not a player to carry constantly or as a main passing objective.

Usually, it is better for someone else to lead the offensive phase while he is making off-the-ball movements.

So, he can create advantages via dismarking runs, dragging rivals, or positioning himself at the top of the box.

Nevertheless, Gómez is a significant threat when his team recovers the ball and the opposition’s defensive line transitions because of his powerful carrying.

He can evade defenders quickly and combine to move after.

His dribbling in tight spaces is not remarkable, but he knows how to use his physical strength in offensive duels.

Diego Gómez Ball Progression Map

Although his intelligence in passing between the lines and long-range shone at Club Libertad, his physical abilities prevailed later.

So, even if these long passes to switch the play have not dazzled, something he has developed into his link-up play is his short combinations.

Gómez has capable teammates to create synergy through mobility, one-twos, or triangulations in tight spaces, something he had not experimented with in his first steps as a professional.

Nevertheless, his passing technique with his right foot is not brilliant.

Like when shooting, he prefers to complete complex passes with the outside of his boot rather than his left foot.

Gómez is still a good technical prospect, but he needs a good context and protagonism in other topics to be outstanding.

Diego Gómez Position

Gómez’s best use would surely be as a box-to-box right/left-centre midfielder; his versatility is an important strategic tool.

In a 4-2-3-1 shape, Gómez could play in every side behind the striker or in the double pivot, depending on the context and teammates.

In that sense, he played in the Pre-Olympics and is playing with Alfaro as a right-winger in this type of system.

Then, he can offer himself without pressure when recovering.

And the most interesting configuration is what he contributes during high pressing.

Let’s analyse this argument with the short sequence below.

Gustavo Alfaro’s plan to face Brazil was just as he has said he’s wanted to establish as his game model with Paraguay.

Intensity, aggression, and intelligence in high pressing to recover the ball in dangerous zones and obstruct the initial opposition phase.

Diego Gómez, as he showed at the Pre-Olympic as a right winger, is a smart player using the touchline to close angles to the full-backs when they receive.

In this sequence, the Brazilian left centre-back finds the free man, who Gómez is watching from a considerable distance.

Once the left back receives, the winger jumps aggressively and uses the touchline to cause a lot of margin for error while Paraguay’s man-to-man marking only allows them to play with the goalkeeper – then he plays a long ball.

These types of sequences happen so many times when Gómez’s team proposes pressing higher.

At Inter Miami, where his zone of influence is different, his high regains map below shows how he recovered aggressively when counterpressing.

Diego Gómez High Regains Map

Diego Gómez Mentality

More than any physical requirement, a tireless box-to-box like Gómez needs a lot of mental strength.

He is always focused on recovering the ball and then confronting the rival.

Also, his natural inclincation is to look forward at every opportunity.

He takes risks, as dangerous passes per 90 minutes are one of his better metrics compared with other midfielders playing at a similar level — see the image below.

His volume of participation is fascinating, so his competitiveness, leadership, and constant focus make him an exciting youngster for Paraguay and his next team, Brighton.

Conclusion

Diego Gómez is a brilliant potential top player to play in a counterpressing system and occupy different positions across the season.

Ideally, he is a box-to-box midfielder who stands out mainly because of his sensational relationship with goal contributions.

He is vertical-minded and one of the short/medium/long-term leaders of Paraguay’s senior national team.

He can significantly impact Gustavo Alfaro’s present process and finalise qualifying for the next World Cup in 2026.

In the same way, Brighton & Hove Albion noticed him with solid reasoning.

Gómez is an ideal accelerator of possessions to receive and carry in Brighton’s build-up, and he means a potential surplus value.

So Diego Gómez is a smart profile to invest in now and a biotype capable of competing in the Premier League and international panorama.