2026 World Cup: Paraguay vs. Australia, Probable Lineups
At Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the spotlight turns to one of the final two Group D matches of the 2026 World Cup. At 4 a.m. Italian time on the night between Thursday and Friday (7 p.m. local time), Paraguay and Australia will face off simultaneously with Turkey vs. the United States to determine who will join the Americans—who have already qualified and are assured of first place—in the knockout stage.
After a traumatic debut that culminated in a crushing 4-1 defeat against the host United States, the Albirroja managed to bounce back quickly. The narrow 1-0 victory over Turkey, secured by Galarza’s goal while playing most of the match with ten men, has reignited the hopes of the team led by Gustavo Alfaro. With 3 points in the standings and a negative goal difference (-2), however, the South Americans have only one result that will secure second place without having to worry about the third-place teams’ wildcard spots: a victory.
Head coach Alfaro will once again rely on a solid, compact team ready to strike on the counterattack. In front of goalkeeper Gill, the defense will be led by the experience of former Milan player Gustavo Gomez and Alderete. In midfield, Galarza will partner with Andrés Cubas, while in the attacking midfield all eyes will be on the talent of Julio Enciso, who is tasked with sparking the offense and feeding lone striker Pitta to break down the physicality of the Australian defenders. Miguel Almiron is unavailable due to the red card he received in the match against Turkey.
The mood in the Australian camp is one of cautious confidence. The Socceroos head into the match bolstered by their current second-place standing, tied with Paraguay but with the advantage of a better goal differential (0 vs. -2). This mathematical detail puts the team led by Tony Popovic in a relatively advantageous position: a draw would mathematically guarantee a spot in the Round of 16, while a loss could jeopardize their campaign due to the tiebreaker criteria. After an excellent debut against Turkey (a win secured thanks to a display of great clinical efficiency), the Australians are looking to bounce back following their 2-0 loss to the United States.
From a tactical standpoint, Australia will rely on its usual physicality and the excellent organization of its back line. Beach will be in goal, protected by the central defensive pairing of Souttar and Circati. On the flanks, Italiano and Bos will need to contain Paraguay’s overlapping runs. In midfield, O’Neill will orchestrate the play, while up front, Touré will lead the attack, supported by the talent of Irankunda on the left and Volpato on the right.
Probable lineups
PARAGUAY (4-4-2): Gill; Caceres, G. Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Velazquez, Cubas, D. Gomez, Galarza; Pitta, Enciso. Coach: Alfaro.
AUSTRALIA (3-4-3): Beach; Circati, Souttar, Burgess; Italiano, O’Neill, Okon-Engstler, Bos; Volpato, Touré, Irankunda. Coach: Popovic.
