Australia secured a 0-0 draw against Paraguay at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Thursday to officially punch their ticket to the knockout stages of the World Cup. The point mathematically guarantees the Socceroos a second-place finish in Group D behind the United States, who recently shut out Australia to win the group.
Former Socceroos captain and broadcaster Craig Foster led the public celebrations back home, addressing crowds gathered at Federation Square in Melbourne. Foster praised head coach Tony Popovic’s defensive structure, calling the performance a “near perfect game” in terms of match management. He noted the squad is learning very quickly on the global stage, sparking intense celebrations and fan reactions across the country.
Australia entered the decisive match knowing a draw was enough to advance. They finished the group stage with four total points and a neutral zero goal difference. Paraguay also finished the group with four points but carried a negative-two goal difference, eliminating them entirely from the expanded progression format.
This marks only the third time in history the Australian men’s national team has successfully reached the knockout stages of a World Cup, matching the runs from 2006 and 2022. The Socceroos travel next to Texas, where their Round of 32 fixture is scheduled for July 3 at Dallas Stadium.