Austria is back at the World Cup. And it only took 28 years.
Ralf Rangnick’s squad defeated Jordan in their Group J opener on June 16, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, ending a drought that stretched all the way back to France 1998. For Jordan, making their first-ever World Cup appearance, the result was a harsh introduction to the biggest stage in football.
A long road back for Austria
The last time Austria appeared at a World Cup, Google was being incorporated, Titanic was dominating the box office, and Zinedine Zidane was busy headlining France’s run to glory on home soil. That was 1998.
Then Ralf Rangnick showed up. The German tactician, known for pioneering the high-pressing, gegenpressing style that influenced an entire generation of coaches, took charge and fundamentally rewired how Austria plays football. His emphasis on tactical discipline, relentless pressing, and vertical play turned a perennial underachiever into a legitimate contender in European football.
