Preview Austria FIFA World Cup 2026 — Rangnick led Austria back to the World Cup after 28 years

Austria will be hoping it can beat Algeria and be the second team to qualify from Group J.

It is surprising that a team consisting of David Alaba, Marcel Sabitzer, Konrad Laimer and Marko Arnautovic did not reach the World Cup earlier. An injury ruled out creative midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, but Austria should still have plenty left in the tank to reach the knockouts.

This will be the first time Austria appears this century and how it got there is a story in itself. The Ralf Ragnick-led side took five wins on the rebound but lost to Romania in the sixth, leaving them one point behind direct qualification and facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final round.

Things went wrong in the 12th minute, but an equalizer from Michael Gregoritsch in the 77th minute ensured that Austria came through. They only conceded four goals in the eight qualifying matches.

Even more impressively, Austria achieved the 2024 European Championship knockouts from a group that also included France and the Netherlands, with the latter suffering a 3-2 defeat.

Player to watch out for: Marcel Sabitzer

The 32-year-old midfielder had an average season at Borussia Dortmund, but has dictated the pace in midfield for Austria. In the past year, Sabitzer scored six goals and five assists in eleven appearances in the national team. In the absence of Cristoph Baumgartner, Austria will turn to Sabitzer to create chances.

Manager: Ralf Ragnick

Ragnick accepted this role after a damaging period to his reputation at Manchester United. But Austria’s recent surge has highlighted Ragnick’s tactical brilliance. During qualifying, Austria relied heavily on pressure and smooth transitions from their own half.

Published on June 11, 2026