In Brief
- Following a respectable 0-0 draw, Australia has secured a spot in the Round of 32.
- The Socceroos' next match is on 4 July.
The Socceroos have drawn with their Paraguayan opponents, securing a spot in the Round of 32, with fans ecstatic the team made it out of the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.
The 0-0 result was all they needed to finish second in their group, advancing to the knockouts for only the third time ever, where they will face the second-placed Group G team on 4 July in Arlington, Texas. That match starts at 4am AEST.
Who exactly that opponent is remains to be seen — every team in that group is tied on two points. Egypt leads on goal difference; Iran and Belgium are currently vying for the second spot, and New Zealand is at the bottom of the ladder.
Egypt faces Iran and New Zealand takes on Belgium on 27 June — what happens in these matches will dictate who Australia meets in its first knockout round.
As it stands, that would be Iran but the final standings won't be known until the final Group D matches tomorrow afternoon.
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30th-ranked Egypt has been playing much better than expected this tournament, drawing in their match against ninth-seeded Belgium and bagging their first win at a World Cup against New Zealand.
For the Socceroos to face the North African side, Egypt would have to lose to Iran, and Belgium would have to draw with the much lower-ranked All Whites.
When it comes to determining who comes out on top between Iran and Belgium, they are both currently sitting on equal points and equal goal difference, so things could come down to the remaining FIFA tie-breakers, but Belgium is in a good position to finish second in the group if it can beat New Zealand.
Iran can place second in their group if they manage a draw against Egypt and Belgium loses its match against New Zealand. If Iran beats Egypt and Belgium beats New Zealand, then Iran would need to have a better tie-breaker than Belgium to place second.
What's going on in Australia's group?
Although Australia and Paraguay both went into this match with three competition points under their belts and left the field with a fresh point from their draw, the Socceroos have finished in their group's second position based on their goal difference.
The Socceroos won their opening match against Türkiye 2-0, and then were beaten 2-0 by group winners USA, meaning their goal difference was 0.
Unfortunately for Paraguay, they came into this third match with a deficit, after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the USA and marginal 1-0 win against Türkiye— leaving them with a goal difference of -2.
After drawing with the Socceroos, Paraguay have closed off the group stage in third place, but they are still likely to qualify for the Round of 32 as a strong third-placed team.
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