Marko Arnautovic adds gloss to scoreline as Austria see off World Cup debutants Jordan
2026 World Cup
3-1
Match Highlights:
https://www.fifa.com/en/watch/77P4VoHiQj3RG3yEQVhGpH
Match Report:
Austria won a World Cup game for the first time in 36 years with a 3-1 victory Tuesday over a Jordan team making their debut at the global showpiece.
An own goal from a corner kick that deflected off Jordanian defender Yazan Al Arab gave Austria a 2-1 lead in the 76th minute. Marko Arnautovic's penalty kick deep in stoppage team extended the margin.
The game between a Jordan team making their debut and an Austrian squad back on soccer's biggest stage after missing the last six tournaments featured plenty of excitement.
It peaked in a stretch in the second half that featured an equaliser by Jordan and two balls sent into the net off corner kicks by Austria -- with only one of those counting.
Substitute Arnautovic had appeared to give Austria the lead when he converted from a corner kick after a misplay by Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila. But the decision went to VAR and the referee called a hand ball on Stefan Posch whose arm touched the ball in the lead up.
Austria got another corner kick shortly after the second-half hydration break and the took a 2-1 lead on Al Arab's own goal.
That proved to be the difference for Austria, which earned its first win at the World Cup since beating the United States in a group-stage match in 1990. Jordan fell short in its attempt to become the first country to win its World Cup debut game since Senegal did it in 2002 against defending-champion France.
Romano Schmid scored in the 20th minute for Austria when he capped off an impressive buildup that put the Jordanian defense on its heels. Xaver Schlager fed a pass to Schmid, who hit a perfectly struck right-foot shot from the edge of the area into the top corner of the net.
Ali Olwan tied it for Jordan in the 50th when made a long run into the box on a counterattack and beat Alexander Schlager with a right-foot shot that delighted the large contingent of Jordanian fans.
Jordan will return to Santa Clara for its second match next Monday against Algeria, which lost 3-0 to Argentina in the first Group J match. Austria will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the Dallas area that same day.
Line-ups
Austria XI: Alaba, Sabitzer, Phillipp Mwene, Alexander Schlager, Lienhart, S.Posch, Laimer, Schlager, Sasa Kalajdzic, Romano Schmid, Nicolas Seiwald
Subs: Arnautovic, Gregoritsch, Grillitsch, A. Schöpf, Patrick Pentz, Danso, Dejan Ljubicic, Friedl, Michael Svoboda, Florian Wiegele, Alexander Prass, Patrick Wimmer, David Affengruber, Chukwuemeka, Paul Wanner
Jordan XI: Ehsan Haddad, Yazeed Abulaila, Mousa Tamari, Yazan Al-Arab, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Ali Olwan, Mohammad Abualnadi, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Abdallah Nasib, Mohannad Abu Taha, Odeh Fakhoury
Subs: Rajaei Ayed, Mohammad Al-Dawoud, Mahmoud Al-Mardi, Noor Bane Ataya, Saleem Obaid, Abdallah Al-Fakhouri, Shararh, Ibrahim Saadeh, Saed Al-Rousan, Husam Abu Dahab, Mohammad Abu Hasheesh, Amer Jamous, Ali Al-Azaizah, Mohammad Abu Ghoush, Anas Badawi