Austria made a winning start to their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Jordan in Group J at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Romano Schmid opened the scoring before Jordan fought back through Ali Olwan early in the second half. However, an unfortunate own goal from Yazan Al-Arab restored Austria’s lead before substitute Marko Arnautović converted a stoppage-time penalty to secure all three points.
The victory sees Austria join Argentina on three points after the opening round of matches in Group J.
Austria strike first
Austria controlled possession from the opening whistle and eventually found the breakthrough in the 21st minute.
Xaver Schlager supplied the assist for Romano Schmid, who calmly finished to give Austria a deserved 1-0 lead after sustained early pressure.
Jordan defended well for the remainder of the first half and limited Austria to a narrow advantage heading into the break.
Jordan respond after halftime
Jordan made the perfect start to the second half when Ali Olwan equalized in the 50th minute.
Noor Al-Rawabdeh provided the assist as Olwan finished clinically to bring Jordan level at 1-1 and briefly shift the momentum in their favour.
Austria responded with several substitutions, introducing Marko Arnautović, Kevin Danso, Carney Chukwuemeka and Paul Wanner as they searched for another breakthrough.
Own goal swings the match
After Austria had a goal ruled out following a VAR review, fortune eventually smiled on them in the 76th minute.
Jordan defender Yazan Al-Arab accidentally turned the ball into his own net under pressure, handing Austria a 2-1 advantage.
Jordan pushed forward in search of another equalizer but left gaps at the back as Austria looked dangerous on the counterattack.
Deep into stoppage time, Marko Arnautović converted from the penalty spot to seal a 3-1 victory and put the result beyond doubt.
Match Statistics
Austria dominated possession and controlled much of the contest despite Jordan creating several attacking moments.
- Austria shots: 9
- Jordan shots: 11
- Austria shots on target: 3
- Jordan shots on target: 4
- Possession: Austria 62%, Jordan 38%
- Pass accuracy: Austria 88%, Jordan 77%
Jordan registered more shots overall, but Austria proved more clinical in key moments to secure the victory.
Group J standings
Austria’s win moves them level with Argentina at the top of Group J after Matchday 1.
Group J standings:
- Argentina – 3 pts (+3)
- Austria – 3 pts (+2)
- Jordan – 0 pts (-2)
- Algeria – 0 pts (-3)
Austria will take confidence into their next fixture, while Jordan will need a positive result to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.
