Santa Clara, June 25 (IANS) Paraguay and Australia meet in their final Group D fixture with the second place officially up for grabs, though the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 format means both sides could still reach the knockout rounds regardless of the result. With the United States already assured of top spot, the focus shifts to securing the best possible position heading into the Round of 32.

A victory for either team would guarantee a runners-up finish, while a draw would keep Australia ahead in second place. Even the losing side may still have a path to the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.

Australia’s campaign has featured contrasting results. The Socceroos began with an impressive win over Türkiye before coming back down to earth in a defeat against the United States. Paraguay have followed a similar pattern, struggling against the Americans before reviving their hopes with a much-needed victory over Türkiye.

Both teams have shown flashes of quality without fully convincing, making this encounter difficult to predict. The stakes are significant, but the safety net provided by the expanded format reduces some of the pressure traditionally associated with a winner-take-all group-stage showdown.

As a result, the contest in San Francisco could become a battle for momentum as much as qualification. With knockout football looming, both Paraguay and Australia will be eager to carry confidence into the next phase and provide a clearer indication of their true potential on the world stage.

How to watch Paraguay vs Australia live in India:

Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 football matches will be available on the Zee5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.

Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.

Key details

Date and kick-off time: Friday, June 26, 07:30 AM (IST)

Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, USA

Referee: Ivan Barton

Squads:

Paraguay-

Goalkeepers: Ugurcan Cakir, Altay Bayindir, Berke Ozer.

Defenders: Merih Demiral, Caglar Soyuncu, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Samet Akaydin, Eren Elmali, Mert Muldur, Zeki Celik, Ferdi Kadioglu, Yusuf

Akcicek.

Midfielders: Hakan Calhanoglu, Orkun Kökçü, İsmail Yüksek, Salih Özcan, Okay Yokuşlu, Kaan Ayhan, İrfan Can Kahveci, Can Uzun.

Forwards: Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler, Kerem Akturkoglu, Bariş Alper Yilmaz, Cengiz Under, Semih Kilicsoy, Bertug Yildirim, Deniz Gul.

Australia-

Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Patrick Beach, Paul Izzo.

Defenders: Aziz Behich, Jordan Bos, Cameron Burgess, Alessandro Circati, Milos Degenek, Jason Geria, Lucas Herrington, Jacob Italiano, Harry Souttar, Kai Trewin.

Midfielders: Cameron Devlin, Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe, Mathew Leckie, Paul Okon-Engstler, Aiden O’Neill.

Forwards: Ajdin Hrustic, Nestory Irankunda, Awer Mabil, Mohamed Toure, Nishan Velupillay, Cristian Volpato, Tete Yengi.

–IANS

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