Australia face Paraguay in a Group D clash of the 2026 World Cup at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, where they will look to make history by trying to qualify for the knockout stage as both sides play each other for second place. They go up against a tough opponent that sits above them in the FIFA rankings.
Australia climbed one spot in the rankings, moving to 27th place from 26th with 1584.55 points. They will look to keep advancing both in the rankings and through the World Cup stages, where the team hopes to put together a historic performance.
Australia arrive following a 2-0 defeat against USA, but they hold an advantage as Paraguay arrive with the sensitive absence of Miguel Almiron, who was sent off in the match between Paraguay and Turkiye, where the South Americans secured an agonizing victory.
Australia in search of victory
With a victory, Australia would secure 6 points and an unquestioned qualification to the next round. A defeat will leave Paraguay with 3 points, which will considerably reduce their chances of advancing through the best third-place qualification. In addition to waiting on multiple results, goal difference could become a decisive factor against other national teams that also finish with three points.
Miguel Almiron of Paraguay.
A draw is not something Australia would desire, but they would benefit from goal difference. If both teams tie, Paraguay will reach 4 points, although they will remain behind Australia due to goal difference—a criterion that currently favors the Oceanians.
In that scenario, the Albirroja will finish third in Group D and will have to wait until the other zones conclude to find out whether they secure one of the eight spots reserved for the best third-place teams in the tournament.
Four points usually represent a competitive figure in this format, but qualification will no longer depend exclusively on the Paraguayan squad. However, given how the results are going, finishing third with 4 points basically means having one foot inside the next round.
