Paraguay scrape through to last 32 after dire 0–0 draw

A 0–0 draw, and Paraguay are through

Paraguay 0–0 Australia. It was ugly, it was tense, and it got the job done (1) (3). Your team held firm and the point was enough to squeeze into the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed sides. The Dutch press did not hold back, one outlet called it "the worst football match of the 2026 World Cup" (1). Fair play to anyone who sat through all 90 minutes of that.

Jordan Bos ran the left flank

One bright spot for the neutrals: Jordan Bos. The Australian left-back was switched to right wing and ran your defence ragged (4) (5). Dutch outlet Voetbalprimeur handed him sky-high ratings and compared him to Arjen Robben (5). Paraguay kept him off the scoresheet, which was the only thing that mattered.

Germany likely waiting in the next round

The bracket is taking shape, and Germany are the most probable last-16 opponent (2) (6). Three teams remain possible for the DFB side, with Paraguay currently the top option (6). No formal announcement yet, but plan for a battle against one of the tournament favourites.

That fair-play rule almost undid everything

Here is how close it got: Algeria and Paraguay finished level on points, goal difference, and goals scored in the third-place ranking. The final tiebreaker? Yellow and red cards (7). Paraguay's disciplinary record held up. One more booking and your team could be out.

Fan reactions

The mood on Reddit is a mix of relief and exhaustion. A post calculating third-place qualification probabilities went up moments after the final whistle thread, and another captured the scene inside the stadium: quiet, drained, grateful thread. Nobody is calling it a classic. Everyone is calling it enough.