On a night when neither team wanted to lose, a draw seemed to suit Australia and Paraguay just fine.
A tense and occasionally tetchy 0-0 draw, played out in front of another sell-out crowd at Levi’s Stadium the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, guaranteed Australia a place in the second round of the 2026 World Cup and left Paraguay almost certain to join them thanks to the vagaries of FIFA’s expanded 48-team competition.
Both nations had beaten Turkiye and lost to the USA in their previous Group B matches. And although they finished level on points, Australia clinched second place thanks to scoring more goals in the tournament.
Neither team threatened to score in this game.
The combined expected goals tally of 0.83 xG was the lowest of the tournament so far. Despite the lack of goalmouth action both teams provided the many partisan fans in the 68,827 crowd, that included at least 12,000 Australians and a sizable number of Paraguayan supporters, occasion to cheer.
“We at no stage felt that we were playing for a draw,” said Australia coach Tony Popovic. “I thought we controlled the game quite well and were in control, and had the better opportunities.
“I think we just gave one away at the end from the edge of the box, which was a heart in the mouth moment … but apart from that, we didn’t look like conceding a chance, and I thought we were quite dangerous in and around the box. We tried to win the game.”
Paraguay, defensive, stubborn and obdurate throughout, were reliant on Julio Enciso for most of their attacking moves. The Strasbourg midfielder was a consistent out-ball, progressing play with direct dribbles and carries. He faded a little after colliding with an advertising hoarding but was able to complete the match.
The result sees Australia qualify for the knockout round for the second World Cup in succession — they lost to eventual champion Argentina in the second round in Qatar in 2022.
Australia fans, players and coaches were jubilant after the game. The performance of two of the team’s most inexperienced players provided an additional boost for Popovic who made six changes to the team that started the 2-0 loss the US on June 19.
Center back Lucas Herrington, who made his World Cup debut at 18, played with the composure of a veteran. While 23-year-old Jordan Bos underlined his burgeoning reputation with an explosive performance that saw him come closest to scoring after a storming 90th minute dribble.
“Age is no barrier,” Popovic said of Herrington who plays for Colorado Rapids in MLS and is rumoured to have attracted transfer attention from Liverpool and FC Barcelona. “The age doesn’t matter to us. He deserved to play, he was ready to play, he’s probably frustrated in not getting minutes against the US, which I love to see, and today he was outstanding.”
“He is a special talent … and it’s why he was selected in the squad, not to just make up the numbers, and again we trusted this talented young man in the most important game of the three (World Cup group games).”
Normally a left back, Bos showed off his outstanding attacking potential when he switched to the right wing. Explosive, direct, but skillful, his performances in this World Cup suggest Feyenoord may have trouble keeping him in the Netherlands beyond the European summer transfer window.
“We’ve seen him play for (Belgian team) Westerloo on the right, and he did come on for us against New Zealand early in the year in a friendly, so we’ve seen that he can adapt to play on that side,” said Popovic of Bos. “It’s the best game he’s played of the three (in this tournament) by far.”
The draw left Paraguay in third place and still awaiting confirmation of their place in the second round. But with four points they should be almost certain to progress barring a freakish set of results in the remaining first round group fixtures.
“I’m satisfied with what we did in defence but Bos was making it hard for us on the right flank,” said Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro after the game. “Now we wait.”
Levi’s Stadium will host its last game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 1 when the USMNT face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara in the round of 32.
It has hosted a series of thrilling games so far.
Qatar’s stunning late tie with Switzerland; Jordan’s tenacity in defeat against Austria and Algeria; and Paraguay’s desperate, unlikely, backs-to-the-wall win over Turkiye, Levi’s Stadium has seen some thrilling matches.
Hosting the US will be a suitably intense finale.
