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- Group D fixtures and schedule
- Who is in World Cup Group D?
- Odds to win World Cup Group D
- Group D path in World Cup knockout bracket
As main hosts of the 2026 World Cup, the United States are set to commence the country's most impactful soccer tournament in decades, if not ever, as the FIFA tournament begins.
The USMNT, helmed by Mauricio Pochettino, was pre-drawn into Group D and will be gearing up for a strong showing on home soil, knowing an impressive tournament could boost the profile of both the team and the sport across the country.
At the 2026 World Cup draw, the U.S. Have learned who they are scheduled to face in the group stage, with three matches to prove their worth and secure a place in the coveted knockout stage. Paraguay, Australia and the winner of the UEFA Playoff Path C will join the host nation in what was considered one of the easier groups drawn on Dec. 5.
AllSportsPeople brings you an overview of Group D, where the United States will set the stage for a potential run through the knockout stage, and hope to begin their quest for a first-ever World Cup title.
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World Cup Group D schedule
Group D table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | Paraguay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | Slovakia/Kosovo/Turkey/Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group D fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Fri, Jun. 12 | 9 p.m. | United States vs. Paraguay | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | 12 a.m. | Australia vs. TBD | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Sat, Jun. 20 | 12 a.m. | TBD vs. Paraguay | Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | 3 p.m. | United States vs. Australia | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | 10 p.m. | TBD vs. United States | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | 10 p.m. | Paraguay vs. Australia | Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
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World Cup Group D teams
United States (USA)
As the main hosts of the World Cup, the pressure will be on this United States team to carry the sport forward in this country, in the hopes of establishing itself amongst the premiere footballing nations in the world.
USMNT fans have dreams of being considered one of the best national teams in the world, and while they understand that is a decades-long process, this opportunity to take a leap in that regard cannot be passed up.
After being eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 Copa America, U.S. Soccer fired Gregg Berhalter and unloaded a record investment into hiring Mauricio Pochettino as head coach knowing they cannot accept failure in 2026.
The national team is anchored by Christian Pulisic, who is undoubtedly the most talented player in USMNT history. The presence of Chris Richards, Weston McKennie, and Antonee Robinson makes this U.S. Squad the strongest ever, but they have to prove they can reach new heights on the field before this generation can be anointed as the greatest the national team has had.
As it has been for years, the benchmark for the USMNT at the World Cup has always been reaching the quarterfinals. They have only done so once in the modern history of the tournament, in 2002, when they beat Mexico in the Round of 16. As such, it stands that the United States men have never won a game against a non-CONCACAF opponent in the World Cup knockout stage. Reaching that level is the goal at this tournament, and anything less on home soil would be considered not only a disappointment, but a massive missed opportunity.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 14th
- Regional ranking: 1st (Concacaf)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 11 (2022)
- How qualified: Automatically (host)
- Coach: Mauricio Pochettino (ARG) since Sept 2024
- Key players: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Weston McKennie (Juventus)
MORE USMNT NEWS: Predicting USA's World Cup path | USA roster predictions | Full schedule for World Cup
Australia
For the sixth consecutive occasion, the Socceroos have reached the World Cup — but this time it was through direct qualification after making Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 via dual playoffs. Tony Popovic’s team earned their spot in North America by finishing second in Group C in the third round of AFC qualifying, behind Japan but ahead of Saudi Arabia.
It’s been an incredible year for the green and gold. In mid-October, Australia and Norway were the only two nations to win every match in 2025 (of those with five or more games). However, since then, the Socceroos have crashed to three consecutive friendly defeats against USA, Venezuela and Colombia.
After sneaking into pot 2, Australia will be hoping for a kind group that will allow them to emulate their best World Cup result: Round of 16 finishes in 2006 and 2022. At both those World Cups, the Socceroos lost to eventual champions Italy (2006) and Argentina (2022) in spirited performances.
Keep an eye on the younger talent in the team with African-born attackers Nestory Irankunda and Mohamed Toure expected to feature prominently, with both likely to enhance their reputations during the tournament.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 26
- Regional ranking: 4th AFC
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: AFC Third Round Group C runner-up: W5-L1-D4
- Coach: Tony Popovic (Australia) since September 2024
- Key player(s): Mat Ryan (Levante), Jackson Irvine (FC St Pauli), Nestory Irankunda (Watford)
Paraguay
South Africa 2010 was the last World Cup played by Paraguay. In 2026, under Gustavo Alfaro, a historic South American team like La Albirroja will be back in action. They secured the last direct ticket in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, but that hardly matters now: they will compete in the World Cup and seek to overcome the quarter-final barrier.
The qualifying road was not easy. Paraguay had to reinvent itself, adjust pieces, and go through critical moments, but it ended up finding stability thanks to a solid foundation and the emergence of new talents who complemented the experience of their leaders. Players such as Miguel Almirón, Julio Enciso, Gustavo Gómez, and Ramón Sosa emerged as key figures in a team that regained its intensity, defensive solidity, and ability to compete on equal terms with any rival on the continent.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 39
- Regional ranking: 6th (CONMEBOL)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 8 (South Africa 2010)
- How qualified: 6th in South American qualifying: 7W-4L-7D
- Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentina) since August 2024
- Key player(s): Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg), Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras)
UEFA Playoff Path C winners
Path C of the UEFA playoffs consists of Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.
Turkey and Slovakia are the seeded teams and therefore the hosts of their respective semifinals against Romania and Kosovo.
The two semifinal winners will contest the final, and the victors in that game will qualify for the World Cup.
MORE: Everything to know about UEFA World Cup playoffs
World Cup Group D odds and predictions
Here are the odds for each team in Group D to win and qualify from the group, with odds according to DraftKings.
These odds are current as of December 5, shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup draw.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify | Win title |
| USA | +150 | -575 | +8000 |
| Paraguay | +330 | -230 | +15,000 |
| Australia | +500 | -140 | +50,000 |
| Turkey* | +500 | +125 | +25,000 |
| Slovakia* | +750 | +215 | +50,000 |
| Romania* | +2000 | +900 | +50,000 |
| Kosovo* | +2000 | +900 | +70,000 |
* Team has not yet confirmed qualification to the 2026 World Cup, still yet to complete their four-team UEFA playoff
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World Cup 2026 bracket for Group D
The winner of Group D will enter the knockout stage bracket on the top half, scheduled to take on a third-place qualifier from either Group B, E, F, I, or J.
The Group D runner-up enters the bottom half of the bracket, slated to meet the runner-up from Group G.
The third-place finisher in Group D has three potential places in the knockout stage bracket they could be sorted into should they qualify as one of the eight third-place qualifiers.
Until all third-place qualifiers are known, it is impossible to predict where or when they could potentially play should this come to pass. There are 495 mathematical combinations of third place qualifiers, with 330 of them involving a participant from Group D. A Group D third-place qualifier could end up facing:
- Most likely (202/330): Winner of Group E
- Possible (111/330): Winner of Group I
- Least likely (17/303): Winner of Group K
Round of 32
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | 3 p.m. | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 4:30 p.m. | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 9 p.m. | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | 1 p.m. | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 5 p.m. | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 1 p.m. | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | 9 p.m. | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 12 p.m. | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 8 p.m. | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | 4 p.m. | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 7 p.m. | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 3 p.m. | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | 11 p.m. | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | 6 p.m. | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | 9:30 p.m. | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | 2 p.m. | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | 1 p.m. | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | 5 p.m. | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | 4 p.m. | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | 8 p.m. | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | 3 p.m. | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | 8 p.m. | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | 12 p.m. | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | 4 p.m. | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | 4 p.m. | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | 3 p.m. | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | 5 p.m. | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | 9 p.m. | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | 3 p.m. | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | 3 p.m. | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third-place match
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | 5 p.m. | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | 3 p.m. | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
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