Australia secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage after playing out a goalless draw against Paraguay, finishing as runners-up in Group D.

The match, played Friday morning at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the United States, saw both teams create several scoring opportunities but fail to find the breakthrough in an evenly contested encounter.

The result was enough for Australia to finish second in the group and book a place in the Round of 32. Co-hosts the United States topped Group D with seven points after completing the group stage unbeaten.

Paraguay, meanwhile, kept their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds alive despite the draw. The South American side finished third in the group and must now wait for the remaining group-stage matches to determine whether they qualify as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams.

The qualification marks Australia’s third appearance in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage. In their seventh World Cup campaign, the Socceroos have now progressed beyond the group stage in three editions, having previously achieved the feat in 2006 and 2022.

Turkey, who finished with three points, were eliminated from the tournament after failing to secure a top-two finish or enough points to remain in contention as one of the best third-placed teams.