Paraguay vs Australia| FIFA World Cup 2026- Group Stages | Preview and Predictions

The sequence of games deciding the outcomes of groups continues as this Group D match between Paraguay and Australia sees two teams with 3 points go head-to-head against each other with their qualification hopes on the line come the end of the 90 minutes.

Here is the Preview and Predictions for the game.

FIFA WC26 | Group D: PAR vs AUS | 07:30 IST, 26 June, 2026

Paraguay started their World Cup in the worst way possible, losing rather comprehensively in a 4-1 shellacking against the co-hosts USA where they could not deal with the speed and intensity of the attacks and the direct nature of the press.

However, they bounced back from that defeat to register what was not only a morale-boosting 1-0 win against Turkiye, but it also kept their chances of qualification wide open after Australia ended up losing 2-0 to USA.

In the win against Turkiye, everything that describes their style of play was on show for the better. While the red card received for Miguel Almiron for covering his mouth and speaking in a confrontational situation does not help matters, the defensive application put in by the side for the entire second half, repealing wave after wave of Turkish attacks gives them a great chance against the Australians. But they will have to do so without arguably their most tireless runner in Almiron, who will miss this must-win game due to suspension.

Australia have time and again shown their resounding ability of punching well above their weight in World Cups and this year is another example of the same grit and spirit by the Socceroos.

They started off by beating the highly-rated Turkiye with a classic smash-and-grab while defending robustly to repel the Turkish advances. They relied on their compact shape and endless running to make life difficult for the Turkish players.

However, they were not able to replicate that against USA, where they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against the co-hosts. It felt a little disjointed and out of sync and it just felt like the USA wanted it a little bit more than them.

These are two sides who play their football in the same vein, putting defensive organisation and compactness on the forefront. It all will come down to who will have the required quality in the final third when it matters. Which is why we believe that it is Paraguay who start this contest as favourites against Australia.

Score prediction: Paraguay 1-0 Australia.

Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara.