Austria have advanced to the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup after finishing second in Group J with four points, marking a successful return to the tournament for the first time since 1998.
Austria made a strong start to their campaign with a 3-1 win over Jordan, controlling large spells of the game and taking their chances efficiently to put themselves in an early commanding position in the group. That momentum was halted in their second fixture, however, as they were beaten 2-0 by Argentina in a disciplined and clinical performance from the defending champions.
Heading into their final group game, Austria knew they needed a result to secure qualification, and they delivered in one of the most dramatic matches of the group stage. In a thrilling 3-3 draw with Algeria, Austria were involved in a relentless back-and-forth contest, eventually rescuing a point with a stoppage-time equaliser that ensured their progression.
The result saw Austria finish second in Group J on four points, level with Algeria but edging them on goal difference to secure automatic qualification to the knockout rounds. It has been a spirited and resilient group stage performance from Ralf Rangnick’s side, and they now face a major test in the Round of 32 where they will meet Spain.
Austria odds to win the World Cup
Austria are 500/1 outsiders to win the World Cup – offering the same odds as Australia and Ghana.
In the past two European Championships, opponents have knocked them out in the round of 16 – and they failed to make it too deep into the tournaments.
Das Team haven’t made it past the group stage in either of their past two appearances at the World Cup. In fact, in their seven previous appearances, Austria have only made it to the knockout stage twice, and one of those came when the World Cup was purely a knockout tournament.
Austria World Cup top goalscorer odds
Few people fancy many Austrian players to win the Golden Boot. Their main threat remains their record goalscorer Marko Arnautovic, who came off the bench to score in the 3-1 victory against Jordan, which has seen his top scorer odds slashed from 150/1 to 80/1.
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