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Austria celebrated their long-awaited instrumentality to the World Cup with a 3-1 triumph implicit determined debutants Jordan connected Tuesday (June 16, 2026), with substitute Marko Arnautovic the quality successful a gritty, end-to-end Group J match.
On a brisk nighttime successful the San Francisco Bay Area, Austria went up with a 21st infinitesimal thunderbolt from Romano Schmid earlier Jordan fought backmost aft the interruption done Ali Olwan's exquisite onslaught successful disconnected the post.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Austria vs Jordan Highlights
The instauration of Arnautovic astatine halftime was decisive for Austria.
The 37-year-old striker had a extremity disallowed successful the 69th minute, past pressured defender Yazan Al Arab into an ain goal 7 minutes aboriginal earlier converting a punishment heavy into stoppage time.
Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer said they knew coming into the lucifer how pugnacious their opponents would be.
"We knew that this was going to beryllium a hard lucifer ... determination were situations wherever we did a bully job, determination were phases wherever we underperformed," helium added.
"What's important is the mentality of the full squad -- we ne'er gave up, we kept going until the extremity and yet we came retired connected top."
28-year World Cup absence
Jordan defended resolutely and were fierce connected the break, with the gait of forwards Olwan and Mousa Al-Tamari a changeless threat to Austria, who were playing astatine their archetypal World Cup successful 28 years.
The lucifer got disconnected to a frenetic start, with Jordan causing a scare 2 minutes successful with a counter-attack that led to skipper Ehsan Haddad blasting debased into the broadside netting.
Austria soon got into their stride, with Marcel Sabitzer the cardinal fig successful a succession of attacks, and they broke the deadlock connected 21 minutes erstwhile Schmid recovered the apical country from extracurricular the box.
Jordan pressed hard and recovered the leveller 5 minutes aft halftime erstwhile Olwan powered down the near earlier firing a sumptuous changeable successful disconnected the acold post.
Austria thought they were backmost successful beforehand erstwhile Arnautovic prodded location a escaped shot from adjacent range, but the extremity was ruled retired owed to a handball by Stefan Posch pursuing a VAR review.
They got the decisive extremity when Sabitzer's country went successful disconnected Al Arab, past enactment the crippled beyond Jordan done Arnautovic's punishment 12 minutes into stoppage time.
"We didn't merit to suffer successful our first-ever World Cup quality - a historical participation for us," Jordan's Olwan said.
"We inactive person 2 matches ahead, and based connected what I saw from our squad today, we are capable of qualifying."
