Australia have secured their place in the last-32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a goalless draw with Paraguay at Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, with an attendance of 68,827. The result leaves both sides level on four points in Group D, but Australia advance in second place thanks to a superior goal difference.
Paraguay, meanwhile, are far from finished. They currently sit fourth in the best third-place rankings, and with eight of the 12 third-place sides set to progress, captain Gustavo Gomez and his teammates remain cautiously optimistic about joining Australia in the knockout rounds.
A match of few chances
Neither side created much of note throughout a largely uneventful contest. Australia dominated possession but struggled to find any real cutting edge, while Paraguay set up with a clear priority: keep a clean sheet and accumulate the point they believed they needed.
In the 4th minute, Jackson Irvine forced a strong save from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill to announce Australia's intent. Jordan Bos tested Gill from distance in the 36th minute, and Cristian Volpato's left-foot shot from the right drew a punch from the keeper just before half-time.
Paraguay did not register their first shot on target until the 50th minute, when substitute Mauricio showed more intent at the start of the second half. That shot signalled a shift in momentum, and Mauricio came close to stealing all three points late on — his snap shot at 90+3' was straight at Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach. Had it gone in, Australia would have been in serious danger of an early exit.
Bos had Australia's best move of the match in the 90th minute, cutting in from the right and bending a left-footed effort wide of the far post.
Paraguay's defensive improvement
The display represented a significant step up from Paraguay's two previous group games. They had conceded four goals to USA in their opener and then faced 32 shots from Turkey in the second match. Against Australia, a tactical switch to a back-three at half-time helped shore up their defensive shape and neutralise the threat of the Socceroos' front line.
Gomez reflected on the performance after the final whistle.
