Australia secured qualification for the Round of 32 knockout phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday after a tense scoreless draw against Paraguay in their final Group D fixture at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The result placed Tony Popovic's squad second in Group D, while Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay must wait for other group results to confirm whether they advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
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Australia controlled much of the initiative, with Jackson Irvine forcing a crucial save from Paraguayan goalkeeper Gill, who deflected the shot out of the top corner.
Paraguay relied on occasional counter-attacks from Julio Enciso, but striker Gabriel Ávalos remained isolated due to a defensive five-man backline featuring Gustavo Velázquez and Maidana.
According to reports from theage. com.
au, Paraguay created a late opportunity when their most dangerous player dropped his shoulder on the edge of the penalty box before being stopped by the Australian defense.
The South American side recycled the possession, but the subsequent shot flew wide, followed by an immediate Australian counter-attack where Jordan Bos cut inside the box but failed to execute a clean strike.
Prior to the match, thousands of Australian fans wearing kangaroo hats filled Santa Clara, though a smaller group of Paraguayan supporters also traveled long distances to attend the decisive Group D encounter.
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Among the crowd was Mielina, a Paraguayan resident from New York who traveled with a group of 12 people to support her national team.
"Paraguay gana hoy y también el Mundial," she said.
Another spectator, a Brazilian man who traveled from Washington D. C.
with his daughter after paying $1,200 for a ticket, carried a banner dedicated to his late mother.
He told EFE he promised her he would attend the next World Cup after she passed away from cancer six years ago.
In the other Group D finale played in Inglewood, Turkey earned a shock victory over the United States through an additional-time goal by Kaan Ayhan.
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Despite the win, Turkey is eliminated, while the United States still advances to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday.
