Australian players celebrate after reaching the World Cup knockouts [Carlos Barria/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026Australia have qualified for the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds after battling to a 0-0 draw with Paraguay in Santa Clara to claim second place in Group D.
The Socceroos, who defeated Turkiye in their opening match before losing to the United States, were never seriously threatened on Thursday, on their way to securing a point to reach the last 32 at Levi’s Stadium in northern California.
It marks only the third time that Australia have advanced beyond the group stage in seven appearances at the World Cup.
The draw also left Paraguay firmly on course for the knockout rounds as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the group stage.
The US had already secured the top spot in Group D, despite their 3-2 defeat to Turkiye in Los Angeles on Thursday.
