Australia played to a scoreless draw (0-0) against Paraguay in the third and final match of Group 4 of the 2026 World Cup and secured a spot in the round of 32 as the group’s runner-up.

On the other hand, Paraguay finished the group stage in third place with four points and now awaits to see if its tally is enough to advance as one of the bestteams in the tournament.

With the United States finishing first in the group, the Australians did what they needed to do, while Gustavo Alfaro’s team kept their hopes alive until all group matches were completed.

Few chances, high intensity
The match was crucial for the standings, but there were very few clear-cut chances in front of either goal.

Australia tried to maintain possession and control the pace, knowing that a draw was enough to advance, while Paraguay looked to score mainly through counterattacks and set pieces.

Both goalkeepers were called into action on only a few occasions, with the defenses dominating throughout the match.

In the second half, Paraguay stepped up the pressure and tried to score the goal that would secure their advancement, but the Australians remained completely focused on their defensive duties.

Tony Popovic’s team managed the game well in the final minutes, kept a clean sheet, and celebrated their advancement to the World Cup knockout stage.

Paraguay
Awaits With the final score 0-0, Australia finished the group stage in second place in Group D and will advance to the round of 32.

Paraguay finished third with four points and is now waiting for the group stage to conclude, hoping that its points total will prove sufficient to secure a spot in the knockout stage as one of the best third-place teams.

Highlights of the match

The starting lineups

Paraguay (Gustavo Alfaro): Gatindo, Cáceres, Balbuena, Aldrete, Alonso, Cubas, Galarsa (Cabrás), Diego Gómez (Villasanti), Almirón (Sosa), Enciso, Sanabria (Ávalos).

Australia (Tony Popovic): Ryan, Miller, Sutard, Bergen, Bos, Irvine, O’Neill (Hrustić), Metcalf (Theo), Boyle (Velupilai), Goodwin (Mabil), Duke (Taggart).

Referee: István Kovács (Romania).

*photo source: AP