Paraguay v Australia: 2026 World Cup Prediction

It’s nothing short of a miracle that Paraguay are still in the running at the 2026 World Cup. The South Americans were dealt a heavy blow by Team USA and, not long after, weathered a veritable Turkish storm. If they beat Australia, they’ll ‘simply’ progress to the next round. The same applies to the Socceroos, as a win is all they need to secure a place in the last 32. Or will they opt, at some risk, for a draw that sees both nations progress? Here is our Paraguay v Australia prediction.

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Paraguay v Australia preview

There is still a lot at stake in Group D. The United States lead the group with six points, whilst Paraguay and Australia are both on three points. This makes their head-to-head clash a direct battle for a place in the knockout stages. The winner is virtually certain of a place in the next round, whilst the loser will be dependent on other results and may have to hope for a place amongst the best third-placed teams. Will BC Place Stadium in Vancouver be treated to a real spectacle?

Current Form & Team News

Paraguay

La Albirroja have had an eventful start to the 2026 World Cup. Paraguay suffered a 1-4 defeat to the United States in their opening match, but bounced back impressively with a 1-0 victory over Turkey. Particularly striking was the fact that captain Miguel Almiron made history by becoming the first player ever to be shown a red card for covering his mouth during an altercation. As a result, the South Americans will have to do without him in the decisive match against the team from Down Under. This is a major blow, meaning all hopes now rest on Julio Enciso.

Australia

Australia have made a solid impression so far at this 2026 World Cup. The Socceroos got off to an excellent start with a 2-0 victory over Turkey thanks to goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe. This was followed by a bitter 0-2 defeat against the United States, leaving Australia stuck on three points. A decisive match against Paraguay now awaits. Tony Popovic’s side know that a draw will be enough to reach the next round. Will they play it safe? Or will they go all out, as they always do, in pursuit of another World Cup victory?

Head-to-Head

Paraguay and Australia have faced each other only twice before, and the record is perfectly even. Both nations have won once, and on each occasion there was little for the neutral spectator to enjoy. That doesn’t bode well, although the stakes in this match are slightly higher than before.

Predicted line-ups

Paraguay (4-2-3-1):

Fernández, Cáceres, Gómez, Balbuena, Alonso; Cubas, Ojeda, Enciso, Galarza, Sosa, Sanabria

Australia (4-3-3):

Ryan, Degenek, Souttar, Burgess, Bos, O’Neill, Irvine, Metcalfe, Leckie, Irankunda, Mabil

Paraguay v Australia betting tips

Betting tip 1: Over 1.5 goals

The stakes are huge, and that often shows on the pitch. Paraguay will have to go all out on the attack and, as a result, will inevitably leave themselves exposed. This looks set to be an exciting match, as Australia are typically a side that are extremely strong on the counter-attack. We therefore expect at least two goals in this fixture, just as in Australia’s last two matches. Over 1.5 goals gives you odds of 1.61 at Oranje Palace.

Betting tip 2: Julio Enciso will provide an assist

His name has already been mentioned, but ahead of the 2026 World Cup, there were high expectations of Julio Enciso. The RC Strasbourg attacking midfielder is performing excellently so far and provided an assist against both the United States and Turkey. Given that Paraguay will need to go on the attack, we expect another goal with Enciso providing the assist. An assist for Julio Enciso will earn you odds of 5.80 at Oranje Palace.

Paraguay v Australia Prediction

** Final score: Paraguay 2–1 Australia**
We expect a narrow but significant victory for Paraguay. The Socceroos won’t go down without a fight and will undoubtedly make life difficult for their opponents, but on an individual level we believe Paraguay have that slight edge in quality. In a match where the finer details could make all the difference, we think the South Americans will come out on top.