Preview: Paraguay vs Australia prediction, odds, where to watch, time | FIFA World Cup 2026

Australia won their last encounter against Paraguay

San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California will host an entertaining encounter between Paraguay and Australia in the sixth game of Group D of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The host, USA have already qualified for the Round of 32 after winning their opening two games. However, the second place is still up for grabs and the winner of this clash will claim it.

Paraguay started their World Cup campaign after suffering a devastating 4-1 loss against USA. They managed to bounce back in round two and secured a hard fought 1-0 win against Türkiye. Paraguay are on an inconsistent run but will have to be at their best in their upcoming game.

Australia on the other hand had a dream start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as they secured a 2-0 win over Türkiye. They locked horns against Mauricio Pochettino’s USA in the second round and were handed a 2-0 loss by them. Australia have improved massively in recent years and even pushed Argentina to their limit during the last World Cup.

Kick-off:

• Location: Santa Clara, California
• Stadium: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
• Date: Friday, 26 June
• Kick-off Time: 02:00 AM (GMT) I 07:30 AM (IST) | 25/06/2026 – 09:00 PM (EST)
• Referee: Not decided
• VAR: In use

Form:

Paraguay (in all competitions): W-L-W-L-W

Australia (in all competitions): L-W-D-L-W

Players to watch out for:

Juan Cáceres (Paraguay)

The full back was Paraguay’s best player against Turkiye. He has utterly dominated the right-hand side in both matches he played. He is a solid defender who prefer to stay back and mainly be on defensive duties. At times, he also provides amazing overlapping and underlapping runs which opens up the pitch for Paraguay and give them better scoring chances.

Nestory Irankunda (Australia)

Nestory Irankunda plays his club football for Watford and had a memorable 2025/26 EFL Campaign. He scored Australia’s opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Turkiye. He came off the bench against USA and did decently well in the second half. Fans will be expecting him to step up during the final round of group stages.

Match Facts:

• The last game between these two teams ended in a 1-0 win for Australia.
• Paraguay won 1-0 against Turkiye in their last game.
• Australia lost 2-0 against USA in their last game.

Paraguay vs Australia: Betting tips and odds

• Tip 1: Paraguay to win – 2.80 by Stake
• Tip 2: Both teams to score – Yes – 1.69 by Dafabet
• Tip 3: Expected Goals – Over 2.5 – 1.76 by 1XBET

Injury and Team news:

Miguel Almirón will be unavailable for the home side as he received a red card during the last game.

Australia on the other hand will have their entire squad available for selection.

Head-to-Head:

Total Matches: 1

Paraguay won: 0

Australia won: 1

Draws: 0

Predicted Lineups:

Paraguay (4-4-2)

Gill (GK); Cáceres, Gomez, Alderete, Alonso; Mauricio, Cubas, Gomez, Galarza; Pitta, Enciso

Australia (5-4-1)

Beach (GK); Italiano, Circati, Souttar, Burgess, Bos; Leckie, O’Neill, Okon-Engstler, Irankunda; Toure

Match Prediction:

The encounter between Paraguay vs Australia is expected to be a close affair. Both nations are on three points at the moment and can secure the second spot. Our prediction for the game will be,

Prediction: Paraguay 2-1 Australia

Telecast details:

India: Unite8 Sports Channels, ZEE5

UK: BBC & ITV

USA: FOX Sports

Nigeria: DStv, GOtv

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.