On June 17th, in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, Austria defeated Jordan 3-1, securing a winning start to their FIFA World Cup campaign. During the match, 37-year-old veteran Arnautovic came on as a substitute and scored a penalty, not only earning his personal FIFA World Cup debut goal but also setting a new historical record for Austrian football.
In this match, Arnautovic was not in the starting lineup but came on as a substitute in the second half. This was also his first appearance in a FIFA World Cup match in his career. In the 67th minute, Arnautovic scored from a close-range rebound, but the goal was disallowed after VAR confirmation due to a handball foul by his teammate Posch.
However, this experienced forward was not affected. As the match entered injury time, Austria was awarded a penalty, and Arnautovic calmly converted it, helping his team secure a 3-1 victory. This goal was his first FIFA World Cup goal in his personal career, making his FIFA World Cup debut particularly perfect.
According to statistics, Arnautovic, at 37 years and 59 days old, became the oldest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup match for the Austrian national team, breaking the record held by former goalkeeper Michael Konsel. The latter was 36 years and 3 months old when he represented Austria in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
It is worth mentioning that Arnautovic was born on April 19, 1989. For a professional forward, making a FIFA World Cup debut and scoring at such an age is undoubtedly a rare achievement.
In fact, Arnautovic had never participated in a FIFA World Cup before, largely due to the Austrian national team's long absence from the FIFA World Cup finals. Austria's last FIFA World Cup appearance dates back to the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. For the 28 years that followed, this European team failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals, only returning to the world's highest football stage in this tournament.