Australia are part of Group D alongside the USA, Turkiye, and Paraguay, aiming to be one of the revelations of the 2026 World Cup in a group that, at first glance, appears accessible, and their position within the FIFA rankings justifies it.
Australia are within the top 30 of the rankings, occupying exactly the 27th position, coming off two defeats, two victories, and a draw in their friendlies and Confederations Cup ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The Socceroos secured victories against Cameroon (1-0) and Curacao (5-1) in the Confederations Cup, suffered defeats against Colombia (3-0) and Mexico (1-0), and finally drew 1-1 with Switzerland, with Cameroon and Curacao below them in the rankings.
Australia’s 2026 World Cup schedule in Group D
Australia were drawn into Group D with the United States, Paraguay, and the winners of the UEFA playoff path C, which ended up being Turkey, making it a more than interesting and balanced group due to the level of all the squads.
Mathew Leckie of Australia
Group D match schedule:
- Friday, June 12, United States vs. Paraguay, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
- Sunday, June 13, Australia vs. Turkey, BC Place, Vancouver, CAN
- Friday, June 19, United States vs. Australia, Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
- Friday, June 19, Turkey vs. Paraguay, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- Thursday, June 25, Turkey vs. United States, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
- Thursday, June 25, Paraguay vs. Australia, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
Australia’s World Cup snapshot
As of the draw, the Socceroos were ranked 26th in the world, squeezing into Pot 2 as the last nation ahead of Norway, who were ranked 29th in the FIFA ranking and the top-ranked Pot 3 nation, meaning they avoided several tough nations in Pot 2 ranked 10th to 24th.
Australia have never won the World Cup. The Socceroo’s best result has been reaching the Round of 16 in 2006 and 2022, where they lost to the tournament winners on both occasions, Italy in 2006 and Argentina in 2022.
