Paraguay vs Australia Preview

Friday morning’s Group D decider at Levi’s Stadium pits two sides who both know what they need. Paraguay and Australia are level on three points apiece going into the final round of fixtures, with both having won one and lost one from their opening two games. A win for either side could be enough to secure second place behind the already-qualified USA, depending on what happens in the simultaneous fixture between the Americans and Turkey.

Paraguay head into this one with genuine momentum. Their most recent outing was a 1–0 win away in Turkey on 20th June — a composed, professional performance that kept their qualification hopes alive. Prior to that, they were beaten 4–1 away by the USA on 13th June in a heavy defeat that exposed their vulnerabilities against top-level opposition. Before that, they hammered Nicaragua 4–0 at home in a friendly on 5th June, and earlier in this run, a 2–1 defeat away in Morocco and a 1–0 win away in Greece complete a picture of a side capable of results but inconsistent across a camp. Three wins and two losses from five, with a goal difference of -2 in the group, means Paraguay need to win and hope the numbers fall right.

Australia’s situation is similar but their recent form carries a note of caution. Their most recent outing was a 2–0 defeat away to the USA on 19th June — a result that left them needing a win here to have any realistic chance of progressing. Prior to that, they beat Turkey 2–0 at home on 14th June in a controlled display. Earlier in this run, a 1–1 draw away in Switzerland on 6th June, a 1–0 defeat away in Mexico on 31st May, and a 5–1 home win over Curacao on 31st March round out a mixed pre-tournament preparation. The Socceroos have shown they can defend and contain, but have struggled for goals against strong opposition.

In Group D, the USA top the table on six points with a goal difference of +5, already through. Australia sit second on three points with a goal difference of zero, Paraguay third on three points with a goal difference of -2. Turkey are bottom with nothing. Australia’s superior goal difference means a draw here would likely be enough for them to progress — Paraguay must win. Both sides are acutely aware of the mathematics, which makes for a fascinating tactical contest.

The head-to-head record favours Australia, who have won two of the three previous meetings, with one draw and no wins for Paraguay. Most recently, Australia won 1–0 at home in October 2010. In the previous encounter, the sides drew 1–1 at Australia’s ground in October 2006.

In the UK, the match is live on ITV 4 and available to stream via ITVX, with radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live. In Australia, viewers can catch all the action on SBS and SBS On Demand. Paraguayan audiences can follow on GEN and POPU TV, while US viewers have access via Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, and UNIVERSO.

---

Lineups & Injuries

Paraguay (4-4-2) Gill, Cáceres, Gómez, Alderete, Gómez, Alonso, Cubas, Pitta, Galarza, Enciso, Mauricio

Australia (5-4-1) Bos, Velupillay, Souttar, Okon-Engstler, Circati, Beach, Touré, O’Neill, Irankunda, Italiano, Burgess

Paraguay: Miguel Almirón (Out)

Australia: Mathew Leckie (Doubtful)

Paraguay lose a creative presence in Almirón, which is a meaningful blow to their attacking options. Australia could be without Leckie, who would have offered pace and directness from wide areas — his absence, if confirmed, further limits their threat going forward.

---

Group D Table

Pos.	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	P
1	USA	2	2	0	0	6	1	+5	6
2	Australia	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3
3	Paraguay	2	1	0	1	2	4	-2	3
4	Turkey	2	0	0	2	0	3	-3	0

---

Paraguay Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Turkey	0–1	Paraguay	World Cup	20-06-26
❌	USA	4–1	Paraguay	World Cup	13-06-26
✅	Paraguay	4–0	Nicaragua	Friendly	05-06-26
❌	Morocco	2–1	Paraguay	Friendly	31-03-26
✅	Greece	0–1	Paraguay	Friendly	27-03-26

Australia Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
❌	USA	2–0	Australia	World Cup	19-06-26
✅	Australia	2–0	Turkey	World Cup	14-06-26
🤝	Switzerland	1–1	Australia	Friendly	06-06-26
❌	Mexico	1–0	Australia	Friendly	31-05-26
✅	Australia	5–1	Curacao	Friendly	31-03-26

Head-to-Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Australia	1–0	Paraguay	Friendly	09-10-10
Australia	1–1	Paraguay	Friendly	07-10-06
Australia	2–1	Paraguay	Friendly	13-06-00

---

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
Great Britain	ITV 4, ITVX, BBC Radio 5 Live
Ireland Republic	ITV 4, RTE 2, ITVX, RTE Player, BBC Radio 5 Live
Australia	SBS, SBS On Demand
Paraguay	GEN, POPU TV
USA	Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW
Germany	Das Erste, MagentaTV
Canada	TSN2, TSN+, RDS 2
France	beIN Sports 2, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, myCANAL
Spain	DAZN Spain, DAZN Mundial 2
Argentina	Telefe Argentina, DIRECTV Sports Argentina, DGO, Paramount+