The United States were placed in a World Cup group with Australia, Paraguay, and the winner of a European play-off between Turkey, Romania, Kosovo, and Slovakia in Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC. Here’s what to know about the co-host’s opponents.
Australia
Fifa ranking 26
How they qualified The Socceroos qualified automatically by finishing second in AFC group C, four points behind Japan. They won five, drew four and lost once while maintaining the second-best defensive record in the group.
Recent World Cup history They made their World Cup debut in 1974, finishing in the group stage. Australia have played in each of the past five World Cups, reaching the Round of 16 in 2006 and 2022. The Australians were the lowest-ranked team in Pot 2, meaning their presence was the first step toward making this a very favorable draw for the home side.
History against the United States As will become a theme, it’s pretty recent. The US defeated the Soccerroos 2-1 in a friendly back in October.
Best-known players US fans may be familiar with NYC FC midfielder Aiden O’Neill. Goalkeeper Matthew Ryan has over 100 caps for his country and plenty of experience throughout European soccer.
What they’re saying “I think friendly games are very different, and I’m sure their squad will change, and it has changed since they’ve played us. We’ve changed players as well since then, and I’m sure that will continue for the next six months.” – Tony Popovic, Australia head coach
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Paraguay
Fifa ranking 39
How they qualified Paraguay finished sixth in Conmebol World Cup qualifying, getting the last automatic spot in the tournament with an eight-point gap above Bolivia, but tied on points with Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.
Recent World Cup history There hasn’t been much! Paraguay last qualified in 2010, the tournament in South Africa where they advanced to the quarter-finals. That was their best-ever finish at a World Cup, and capped a run of four straight appearances in the finals.
History against the United States At the very first World Cup in 1930, the United States beat Paraguay 3-0 to clinch their spot in the semi-final, still the best US performance at a men’s World Cup. More recently, the US beat Paraguay in a friendly in November that marked the return of Gio Reyna in top form to the team.
Best-known players Miguel Almirón turned an MVP season with Atlanta United in MLS to a big-money move to Newcastle United, and then a return to Atlanta this past offseason. Diego Gómez of Brighton & Hove Albion boosted his profile playing with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. Gustavo Gómez is the team’s captain and primary goal-scoring option, and is a fixture for Brazilian side Palmeiras.
What they’re saying “It’s an even group, I have the feeling that beyond the pots, there’s a pretty good level of parity and competitiveness … While Paraguay has secured its qualification to next year’s World Cup, if we just leave it at that because we’ve qualified and we fall asleep, it’s most likely that another episode like the one that happened will occur, of not qualifying for 16 years.” – Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay head coach
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Turkey / Romania / Kosovo / Slovakia
These are the four teams that will compete in a playoff for the final spot in Group D, and each one presents a potentially intriguing matchup for the US. Turkey will be the favorite based on their recent history in World Cups and owning the highest Fifa ranking. Should they be the ones to advance out of this group, the US will have the advantage (or perhaps disadvantage) of having every World Cup group opponent be a team they have played in a friendly the year before. The US played Turkey in a pre-Gold Cup friendly in June, losing 2-1.
