It was a close, contended matchup but in the end, Australia and Paraguay ended in a goalless draw. With this, the Group D standings of the 2026 World Cup are now final, and hence we can look into the Round of 32 matchups.
Australia was solid enough to resist Paraguay‘s efforts, and by doing so, the Socceroos have confirmed their second spot in Group D and by consequence, a spot in the Round of 32.
The Land Down Under must be thrilled to be in this position, as Australia will now face the second seed of Group G on July 3, which, per the moment of writing, is Iran. Australia should be eyeing that matchup with positivity, thinking they could dream with a Round of 16 appearance.
Group D final standings
The USMNT was already determined as the group leader, while Turkiye was already eliminated. Hence, the only thing that remained to be settled was the position of Australia and Paraguay. Now, it’s all set in stone.
Players of Paraguay
| Pos./ Team | Pts. | GP/GD (GF) |
| 1. United States | 6 | 3/+5 (8) |
| 2. Australia | 4 | 3/0 (2) |
| 3. Paraguay | 4 | 3/-2 (2) |
| 4. Turkiye | 3 | 3/-2 (3) |
What’s next for Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup?
Paraguay’s World Cup dream is not done just yet. By having four points, they are still very much in the fight to advance as one of the best eight third-place spots in the tournament. However, their goal difference puts them in some jeopardy.
Now, the Paraguayans have to wait and pray for a string of results that leave them as one of those third-place wildcards. As of now, they are in the mix and if it all ended today, they would play Germany on June 29. However, that could change in the upcoming days as Matchday 3 comes to a close.
