Paraguay v Australia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
Paraguay XI
Three changes for Gustavo Alfaro, but also crucially a system switch from a back four to a back five.
Out: Pitta, Almiron, Alonso
In: Avalos, Maidana, Velazquez
Paraguay XI (5-3-2): 12 Gill; 2 Velazquez, 3 Alderete, 15 Gomez, 4 Caceres, 26 Maidana; 23 Galarza, 14 Cubas, 8 Gomez; 21 Avalos, 19 Enciso.
Australia XI
Blimey, just the SIX changes from Tony Popovic following the defeat to the USA.
Out: Jacob Italiano, Cam Burgess, Paul Okon-Engstler, Mat Leckie, Nishan Velupillay, Mo Toure.
In: Lucas Herrington, Aziz Behich, Jackson Irvine, Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato, Connor Metcalfe
Australia (5-3-2): 18 Beach; 5 Bos, 25 Herrington, 19 Souttar, 3 Circati, 16 Behich; 22 Irvine, 8 Metcalfe, 13 O’Neill, 20 Volpato; 17 Irankunda
Jack Snape
The San Francisco Bay Area stadium, formerly – and soon to be known again as – Levi’s Stadium offers a different experience to the venues in Vancouver and Seattle fans.
Those stadiums were on each city’s fringe, requiring only a short walk from the bars and pubs of downtown.
Here in Santa Clara, on the south-eastern corner of the Bay, what the area gives up in proximity it gains in parking.
So it was appropriate the Australian fans met at Yellow Lot 5, an empty carpark about 20 minutes walk from the stadium, to march all the way to the stadium gates two hours before the match.
There appeared to be more than the 10,000 estimated at the previous matches, and the yellow fans have now begun to take up their position behind the southern goal.
Yellow Lot 5 was left quiet again, the only evidence left of the Australian visit were hundreds of empty bottles and cans.
Ok, now we can turn our focus squarely on Paraguay v Australia.
Apologies from the outset to any fans of Los Guaraníes that might be tuning in, this is going to be a green and gold flavoured page from now on.
It is Friday morning on the east coast of Australia with the match kicking-off at midday in Sydney and Melbourne. The optimal long-lunch timing has led to the Socceroos’ assistant coach to assert – with an unnervingly straight face – that he expected the prime minister to declare a public holiday, and for the team’s third reserve right back to encourage schools to broadcast the match in classrooms.
Friday’s match against Paraguay marks the first time a Socceroos World Cup game is being played entirely in Australia’s traditional working hours – and if they aren’t dropped entirely, tools will at least come to a standstill.
It’s being described by the Socceroos fan group Active Support, in a viral social media post featuring a picture of Bob Hawke, as the “Great Australian Socceroos Sickie”.
Instead of waking at an ungodly graveyard hour, fans are being graced with a noon AEST kick-off, perfectly primed for a lunch break that evolves smoothly into the weekend.
Japan finish second behind the Dutch, while Sweden will also make the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The Netherlands have topped Group F, completing a strong opening phase with a comfortable victory over the already eliminated Tunisia.
Jonathan Liew considers the impact of this World Cup being the most individual > collective in tournament history.
… something does feel qualitatively different this summer: a tectonic shift driven partly by events on the pitch and partly at the behest of the industry itself. This is a World Cup swimming in star names, and never have those star names been so unapologetically, unquestioningly invoked. France do not beat Iraq; instead Kylian Mbappé throws down the gauntlet to Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and the rest. According to Google, Miroslav Klose’s goals record has been searched more at this tournament than in the year he set it. At times the group phase has felt like an inconvenient distraction from the real business of the Golden Boot race. (Can Lionel Messi lift the one trophy he hasn’t won yet?)
Socceroos supporters are on the march in Santa Clara.
Looking for trends to emerge from the World Cup so far? How about a return to the importance of crossing.
Football is cyclical. Trends come and go. After the rise of inverted wingers, who tend to cut in and shoot, are we seeing the return of traditional wingers – those wide players who hug the touchline and send in crosses on their stronger foot?
We are seeing a lot of goals scored from deliveries into the box from out wide. In the first two rounds of games, 29 of the 48 teams at the tournament scored at least one goal within five seconds of a cross into the box.
The conclusion of Group E is another opportunity to fire up Bracketology. Germany v France in the round of 16 looks very tasty.
“Greetings Jonathan,” welcome on board Andrew Hawkins, and may the football gods furnish you with a fresh tub of yeast extract as a prize of the first email of the day.
“This time last week I was in sunny Seattle. Now, working away in soggy Sydney wishing I was in San Francisco. Last Friday was one of the best days of my life, even the result couldn’t ruin it. The atmosphere was phenomenal, the march to the stadium electric, us Aussies may not have matched the Americans on the pitch but we equalled their patriotism levels – quite some feat. Hopefully, the Socceroos’ first half is not as lethargic as last week – no point leaving anything to chance.”
Elsewhere in Group E, Ivory Coast did enough to finish second and end Curacao’s fairytale.
An underwhelming 2-0 victory, courtesy of Nicolas Pépé’s double, put the Ivorians through to the last 32 as group runners-up. But it was an imprecise contest here in Philadelphia, the cradle of American democracy – such as it is. All the same, a spirited Curaçao leave their first World Cup.
The most consequential match of the day so far has seen Ecuador storm back to defeat the previously unbeaten Germans and snatch their place in the round of 32.
Despite a flat start to their World Cup campaign, there was a genuine belief that an upset against a full-strength Germany was possible. They had no other choice: having been shut out by Eloy Room’s heroics for Curaçao, Sebastián Beccacece’s side had to win to progress. Gonzalo Plata’s 77th-minute strike sparked wild and emotional celebrations, assuring their place in the last 32 as a best third-placed team – and a first knockout match since 2006.
Let’s start the roundup with the Pod Squad dealing with a bumper six-game matchday, one dominated by Scotland’s hammering by Brazil.
Feel free to keep me company by emailing your thoughts about today’s match, and anything related to the World Cup to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of match 60 of the 2026 World Cup between Paraguay and Australia. Kick-off at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is 7pm local time (10pm EDT / 3am BST / 12pm AEST).
It all comes down to this in Group D.
The USA are through as group winners. Turkey are on their way home in last place. In between, Australia and Paraguay are jostling for second place, and the prize of guaranteed qualification to the knockout phase, or third place, and an anxious wait to see how the chips fall elsewhere.
An Australia win guarantees the Socceroos a round of 32 clash in Dallas, most likely against Egypt or Iran (but possibly Belgium or New Zealand). It also pushes Paraguay close to elimination with their poor goal difference and disciplinary record counting heavily against them in the battle to be ranked one of the eight best third-place teams.
A Paraguay win guarantees them that trip to Texas, but as long as Australia don’t lose by more than one goal, they should also be confident of continued participation, only without immediate confirmation.
A draw suits both sides with Australia qualifying in second, Paraguay third.
The incentives for both teams to secure only a draw suggest this evening’s spectacle may not be one for fans of open attacking football. Neither coach will publicly admit it, of course (and there will be no hint of collusion) but it’s human nature to pursue loss aversion.
When the draw was made both these teams would have expected to be in a scrap for third place at best, each will be delighted with their position at kick-off and it would be an enormous surprise if either put that status in jeopardy by playing anything other than conservatively.
I’ll be back shortly with team news and a roundup of all the matchday action so far. In the meantime you can keep an eye on the conclusion of Group F, with the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden, jostling for to spot.
Crédito: Link de origem