{"id":16182,"date":"2026-06-26T00:51:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=16182"},"modified":"2026-06-26T01:13:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:43:58","slug":"fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | Paraguay vs Australia | Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Group D | Levi\u2019s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area | Jun 26, 2026 | 7:30 AM IST<\/span><\/i><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-black ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #282fff;color:#282fff\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Match_Overview\" title=\"Match Overview\">Match Overview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Paraguay_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\" title=\"Paraguay \u2014 Team Analysis\">Paraguay \u2014 Team Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Australia_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\" title=\"Australia \u2014 Team Analysis\">Australia \u2014 Team Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Head-to-Head\" title=\"Head-to-Head\">Head-to-Head<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Tactical_Preview\" title=\"Tactical Preview\">Tactical Preview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Key_Storylines\" title=\"Key Storylines\">Key Storylines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/#Our_Prediction\" title=\"Our Prediction\">Our Prediction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Match_Overview\"><\/span><b>Match Overview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Group D\u2019s final matchday is effectively a straight knockout. Win, and you go through as the second qualifier. Lose, and you\u2019re almost going home \u2014 three points with negative goal difference won\u2019t be enough. A draw could keep both alive. The USA are qualified, T\u00fcrkiye are gone. At the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Thursday, it\u2019s down to these two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u25ba Catch every kick live on ZEE 5 \u2014 India\u2019s official home of the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122. Download the ZEE 5 app.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paraguay_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/paraguay\/paraguay-squad\">Paraguay<\/a> \u2014 Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paraguay are back at a World Cup for the first time since South Africa 2010. Gustavo Alfaro has built a side around the counter \u2014 a tight, low block and quick transitions. Mat\u00edas Galarza\u2019s 64-second strike against T\u00fcrkiye, created by Enciso\u2019s flick, was the fastest goal in this tournament and came from a team that knew exactly what it was doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem on Thursday is Miguel Almir\u00f3n \u2014 suspended. FIFA confirmed a one-game ban after his red card for covering his mouth during the match against T\u00fcrkiye, the first dismissal under that rule at a World Cup. Almir\u00f3n links midfield and attack and sets the tone for Paraguay\u2019s counter-press. Without him, Julio Enciso (22, Strasbourg) carries the creative burden. Diego G\u00f3mez (Brighton) and Ram\u00f3n Sosa need to provide the engine alongside.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Julio Enciso | Strasbourg | Forward \u2014 A 22-year-old with the flair and directness to unlock any defence, Enciso carries Paraguay\u2019s creative burden today with Almir\u00f3n suspended. His flick set up Galarza\u2019s tournament-fastest goal against T\u00fcrkiye \u2014 now he needs to make the chance himself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Australia_%E2%80%94_Team_Analysis\"><\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\/0-6-4z5974253\/0-2-5z5974716\/teams\/australia\/australia-squad\">Australia<\/a> \u2014 Team Analysis<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tony Popovic\u2019s Socceroos beat T\u00fcrkiye 2-0 in Vancouver with real conviction \u2014 Nestory Irankunda opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a direct run down the right, and Connor Metcalfe added a tidy finish in the 75<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> minute to seal it. The USA loss was 0-2, but it scarcely told the story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irankunda is the player who catches the eye. At 20, the Watford winger is direct, quick, and capable of the kind of moment that changes a match. Jackson Irvine anchors the midfield from St. Pauli with composure and range, and 34-year-old Mathew Ryan \u2014 appearing at his fourth World Cup \u2014 brings exactly the calm that tournament football demands between the posts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Player: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nestory Irankunda | Watford | Winger \u2014 At just 20, he has been the most exciting attacker in Group D, opening the scoring against T\u00fcrkiye with a direct run nobody could handle. If there\u2019s one player capable of deciding this match on his own, it\u2019s him.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Head-to-Head\"><\/span><b>Head-to-Head<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Five meetings in history \u2014 all friendlies \u2014 and Australia have the slight edge: two wins to Paraguay\u2019s none, with three draws. The last time they met was in October 2010, when Australia won 1-0. Thursday is their first World Cup meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tactical_Preview\"><\/span><b>Tactical Preview<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without Almir\u00f3n\u2019s press from the front, Paraguay\u2019s shape risks becoming too passive. Alfaro will want his back line compact and trust the counter; Enciso needs to find space between Australia\u2019s lines. Gustavo G\u00f3mez \u2014 Palmeiras captain \u2014 anchors the defence with the aggression to hold that structure together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Popovic will want Irankunda to attack Paraguay\u2019s full-backs from the first whistle. If Australia can stretch that compact shape wide, Irvine and Metcalfe have the space to press. Their pressing troubled T\u00fcrkiye \u2014 whether they can sustain it for 90 minutes against a disciplined defensive side is the real question.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Storylines\"><\/span><b>Key Storylines<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Paraguay beat T\u00fcrkiye, Almir\u00f3n was pressing, linking, creating \u2014 until he got sent off before half-time. Now he\u2019s serving his ban. For Paraguay\u2019s counter-attacking game to work without their most important creative player, Enciso needs to deliver a complete performance. It\u2019s a lot to ask of a 22-year-old in the biggest match of his career.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 20, Nestory Irankunda scored against T\u00fcrkiye and has been the brightest attacking player in this group. Direct, fearless, better against deep defences than most players twice his age. A win here and he walks into the Round of 32 as one of the tournament\u2019s emerging names.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_Prediction\"><\/span><b>Our Prediction<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two compact, counter-attacking sides \u2014 this is the kind of match that ends 1-0 and feels like a war. Paraguay lose their creative engine in Almir\u00f3n; Australia carry slightly better form and a cleaner goal difference. One moment will settle it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without Almir\u00f3n, Paraguay need Enciso to produce something special. Australia have enough to edge it \u2014 and guaranteed knockout football is all the motivation Popovic\u2019s side needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><i>\u25ba Don\u2019t miss a moment of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/sports\/football\/fifa-world-cup\/2026\">FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> action. Stream live and on-demand on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/myaccount\/subscription?plan-ref=0-11-7467&amp;asset-ref=0-6-4z5914493&amp;visibility=SELECTED&amp;context=FIFA\">ZEE 5 FIFA Subscription<\/a> \u2014 wherever you are in India. Download the ZEE 5 app today.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disclaimer: Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Group D | Levi\u2019s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area | Jun 26, 2026 | 7:30 AM IST Match Overview Group D\u2019s final matchday is effectively a straight knockout. Win, and you go through as the second qualifier. Lose, and you\u2019re almost going home \u2014 three points with negative goal difference won\u2019t be enough. A draw [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3019],"tags":[3031,3140,3321],"class_list":["post-16182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-d","tag-paraguay-vs-australia-preview"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1132x400.png","author_info":{"display_name":"Sourav K","author_link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/author\/sourav-k\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | Paraguay vs Australia | Preview - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Paraguay vs Australia preview FIFA 2026\u2122\u2014Enciso vs Irankunda, tactics, and prediction in Group D knockout clash.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/fifa-world-cup-2026-paraguay-australia-preview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 | Paraguay vs Australia | Preview - 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