Socceroos vs Paraguay: World Cup Group Stage Guide
Quick Look
- Australia's Socceroos face Paraguay in their final World Cup group stage match.
- A win or draw secures a knockout stage spot, while a loss still offers a chance due to new tournament rules.
- Paraguay is the lowest-ranked team in Group D but will be without star midfielder Miguel Almirón.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Socceroos are in the final match of the World Cup group stage, aiming to qualify for the knockout stages for the third time in history. After a win against Türkiye and a loss to the US, their next match is against Paraguay.
The Socceroos continue their World Cup campaign this week as they look to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament for the third time in history.
After going down to the US on the weekend, Australia now faces Paraguay in the final match of the group stage.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of kick-off.
Who is Australia playing next?
The Socceroos will be playing Paraguay.
In their first match of the World Cup, the Socceroos had a 2-0 win over Türkiye, before losing to the United States in their second match, 0-2.
That leaves Australia second in the group, with the US on two wins, Australia and Paraguay on a win and a loss, and Türkiye on two losses.
When is the match?
The game is on Friday, June 26, at 12pm (AEST).
Just to be clear, that's midday, not midnight.
Here's the start time for your time zone:
ACST: 11:30am
AWST: 10am
Australia's Group D fixtures
Where are they playing?
The Socceroos will be playing in the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, which is more commonly known as the home of NFL team the San Francisco 49ers.
Live sites
If you want to make a day of it, you can watch the game from live sites in every capital city.
What do the Socceroos need to do to make it to the knockouts?
ABC Sport's Simon Smale will have a more comprehensive look at the mathematics behind all of this in an article tomorrow morning, but for now all you need to know is: win or draw, and the Socceroos make it through to the knockout stage.
Lose, and there's still a decent chance that Australia makes it through due to new rules in this year's World Cup that the best-placed third teams in the groups carry on in the tournament.
Is Paraguay any good?
They're not bad, but they are the lowest-ranked team in the group. They are ranked 37th in the world, behind Türkiye at 32, Australia at 26, while the US is at 14.
They'll also be without star midfielder Miguel Almirón,who was sent off in his last game for covering his mouth while talking to an opposition player. If that's a bit confusing, read this article to understand why it happened.
How can I tune in?
ABC Sport is live-blogging every World Cup game, and we have extensive coverage of all the tournament's biggest storylines here.
You can watch all Socceroos matches live on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Open Questions
- What are the specific tie-breaking rules if third-placed teams advance?
- How will Paraguay's absence of Miguel Almirón affect their performance?