World Cup 2026 Group D Standings: Australia and Paraguay Battle for Second
World Cup 2026 Group D standings are now clear at the top, with the United States already through as group winners after beating Australia 2-0. Türkiye have been eliminated, leaving Australia and Paraguay to decide second place in the final round of matches.
For Socceroos fans, the equation is simple. Australia can secure automatic qualification to the Round of 32 with a win or draw against Paraguay, while Paraguay must win to jump above them.
USA Win Group D After Australia Result
The U.S. have wrapped up first place in Group D, so their qualification job is already done. They will move into the Round of 32 and face a third-place team on Wednesday, July 1 in Santa Clara, California.
Because first place is already secured, the United States’ final group match will not change their standing at the top of Group D.
Türkiye Eliminated From Group D
Türkiye are out of qualification contention and cannot finish in the top two. That means their final group-stage match against the United States is a dead rubber in qualification terms.
There is no path for Türkiye to advance automatically from Group D, and they have already been eliminated before the last round of fixtures.
Australia Qualification Scenario: What the Socceroos Need vs Paraguay
The key Group D qualification battle is now straightforward: Australia and Paraguay will meet with second place on the line.
What Australia Need
Australia can secure second place in Group D with either:
- A win over Paraguay
- A draw against Paraguay
That leaves Australia in control of the final automatic qualification spot behind the United States.
What Paraguay Need
Paraguay must beat Australia to guarantee a top-two finish in Group D. If Paraguay do not finish second, they are still in a decent position to advance as a third-place team.
So while Australia have two results that work for them, Paraguay need the win to take the runner-up spot.
Remaining Group D Matches
- Türkiye vs United States — Thursday, 10pm ET, Fox
- Paraguay vs Australia — Thursday, 10pm ET, FS1
Of the two games, Paraguay vs Australia is the one that will directly decide who joins the United States as an automatic qualifier from Group D.
World Cup 2026 Group D Round of 32 Path
The United States will enter the Round of 32 as Group D winners and play a third-place team on Wednesday, July 1 in Santa Clara, California.
The Group D runner-up will face the second-place team from Group G in the Round of 32.
Bottom Line
Group D is settled at the top. The United States have won the group, and Türkiye have been eliminated.
That leaves one major question still open: Australia and Paraguay will meet in the final group match with second place on the line. Australia only need a win or a draw, while Paraguay must win to guarantee automatic qualification.
In short, the U.S. are already through as group winners, but Australia vs Paraguay will decide who joins them as a top-two finisher from Group D.
