California, June 26: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated the Socceroos after Australia secured qualification for the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a goalless draw against Paraguay on Thursday.
In a post on social media platform X, Albanese praised the team’s performance and said the players had made the nation proud.”Onto the knockouts of a FIFA World Cup. What an effort by our @Socceroos. You’ve made the nation proud,” Albanese wrote.
Australia and Paraguay played out a 0-0 draw in a closely contested Group D encounter. Paraguay adopted a defensive approach for much of the match, while Australia enjoyed greater possession and created more opportunities.
Australia looked threatening in the opening stages as Jordan Bos, Aiden O’Neill and Cristian Volpato combined effectively on the right flank to test the Paraguayan defence.
Midfielder Aiden O’Neill forced goalkeeper Orlando Gill into an early save with a powerful effort, while Nestory Irankunda remained involved in the attacking play, although clear chances were limited.
Paraguay showed improvement after the interval following tactical changes but struggled to create significant opportunities as Australia continued to press for a breakthrough.
Late in the match, Jordan Bos came close to scoring after cutting inside from the right wing, but his shot went narrowly wide of the far post.Despite sustained pressure from Australia, neither side managed to score, and the match ended in a goalless draw.
With the result, Australia finished second in Group D and will face the runners-up of Group G in Dallas on July 3 in the Round of 32.Paraguay will now await confirmation on whether they progress to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.
Aiden O’Neill was named Player of the Match for his performance in Australia’s final Group D fixture.