Paraguay - Australia / 2026 FIFA World Cup

Follow the LIVE broadcast of the Paraguay vs. Australia match in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on ŠPORT.sk! The match, also broadcast live on JOJ Šport, kicks off at 4:00 AM.

In Group D, only the direct battle for second place and a more favorable knockout stage seeding remains. While a draw is enough for the Australian national team to maintain their current second position, Paraguay needs to be much more aggressive to leapfrog their opponent due to an inferior goal difference. However, both teams have primarily relied on strict defensive discipline throughout the tournament, promising an extremely cautious and tactically constrained encounter.

Paraguay has three points after two matches, but an unfavorable 2:4 goal difference keeps them just behind Australia. After an initial 1:4 loss to the United States, the South Americans managed a crucial 1:0 victory against Turkey. Mathías Galarza decided the match in the second minute, but after the dismissal of key player Miguel Almirón before halftime, Paraguay's game plan shifted to a deep defensive block, desperately defending their slender lead.

Despite allowing Turkey 79% possession, 32 shots, and 12 corner kicks, they did not concede under immense pressure. Furthermore, Paraguay has not lost their last six group stage matches at the World Cup, and in ten of their last twelve victories, they have won by a single goal. However, the suspended Almirón will be a significant absence in this decisive qualification match, severely weakening their attacking transitions. There are also doubts surrounding the fitness of Gustavo Caballero and Ramón Sosa.

Australia, after an initial 2:0 win over Turkey and a subsequent 0:2 loss to the USA, sits in second place. With both teams currently on equal points, their superior goal difference is a significant advantage. Against the American side, Tony Popovic's men failed to replicate their focused opening performance, managing only two shots on target and struggling to execute their typical quick attacking transitions.

This defeat also ended Australia's ten-match unbeaten run in competitive fixtures, but their qualification fate remains firmly in their own hands. Regarding the squad, Mathew Leckie's participation is questionable due to a muscle injury, but otherwise, the coaching staff should have a complete and stable core team available.

This will be the first-ever World Cup encounter between these two national teams. However, Australia has not lost to Paraguay in any of their five historical friendly matches, most recently defeating them 1:0 in 2010.

Given the tournament mathematics and the cautious playing style of both teams, a very balanced, draw-prone match is generally expected. Earning four points in the group will, with high probability, send not only the second-placed team but also the third-placed team into the knockout stage. Therefore, neither side will want to take unnecessary risks with an open attacking approach.

The defensive statistics also support a low-scoring affair, with only two of Paraguay's last eight matches in qualification or the final World Cup tournament seeing goals from both sides. The corner kick statistics are also particularly interesting: Australia took only nine corners in their first two matches combined, and Paraguay managed just one. This defensive trend is expected to dominate their head-to-head encounter, where neither team will want to lose.