Austria continued their impressive form with a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their second FIFA World Cup Group J match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday morning GMT.
The result stretched Austria’s unbeaten run to six matches, while Jordan’s winless streak extended to five games. Despite the final score, Jordan delivered a spirited performance and pushed Austria throughout an entertaining contest.
Jordan started brightly and showed plenty of energy in the opening stages. While Austria controlled possession, Jordan’s aggressive pressing and pace on the counterattack caused early problems. Their first major chance arrived in the 17th minute when Odeh Fakhoury unleashed a long-range effort that forced Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager into a diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Austria struck against the run of play in the 21st minute with their first clear opportunity of the game. Xaver Schlager laid the ball off on the edge of the area, allowing Romano Schmid to cut inside and curl a superb effort into the top corner beyond Yazeed Abulaila. The finish gave Austria a 1-0 lead despite Jordan having created the better chances.
Jordan almost responded immediately. Just a minute later, Ali Olwan escaped his marker at a corner and guided a header past Alexander Schlager, only to see the ball crash against the crossbar.
Austria’s starting line-up also made history. With an average age of 29 years and 240 days, it was the second-oldest starting XI fielded by a European nation at the 2026 World Cup, behind Switzerland’s team against Qatar.
Jordan continued to threaten and nearly found an equaliser in the 34th minute. Alexander Schlager produced another excellent save to deny Ali Olwan after a well-worked move down the right flank. Mousa Al Tamari reacted quickest to the rebound, but Austrian defenders blocked his follow-up effort.
Al Tamari remained a constant danger and tested the Austrian defence again in first-half stoppage time. He worked his way into shooting position but could not generate enough power or accuracy to trouble Alexander Schlager.
Jordan finally earned the goal their performance deserved five minutes after the restart. Austria’s Xaver Schlager lost possession in midfield, allowing Jordan to break quickly through Ali Olwan. The forward surged down the left wing, cut inside onto his right foot and calmly placed his shot across goal. The effort beat Alexander Schlager, clipped the inside of the post and found the net for Jordan’s first-ever World Cup goal.
Austria thought they had regained the lead in the 67th minute. Marcel Sabitzer’s corner was poorly punched clear by Yazeed Abulaila, creating a scramble inside the penalty area. The ball eventually fell to Marko Arnautovic, who poked home from close range. However, the referee disallowed the goal, much to Austria’s frustration, after judging Stefan Posch to have committed an infringement during the build-up.
The decision offered Jordan goalkeeper Abulaila a huge reprieve after his costly error from the corner.
Austria eventually found their breakthrough in the 77th minute. Sabitzer delivered another dangerous corner and this time Yazan Al Arab inadvertently headed the ball into his own net. The own goal restored Austria’s advantage and stood after a brief check.
Jordan almost gifted Austria a third goal deep into stoppage time. Noor Al Rawabdeh’s back pass put Abulaila under pressure, and the goalkeeper’s poor control nearly carried the ball into his own net in what proved to be a difficult second half for the Jordan shot-stopper.
Austria sealed victory in the 11th minute of added time. Referee Dahane Beida awarded a penalty after ruling that Mohammad Abu Zraiq handled the ball inside the area. Austria’s all-time leading scorer Marko Arnautovic stepped up and calmly sent Abulaila the wrong way to score his second goal of the match and secure a 3-1 win.
The result moves Austria into second place in Group J following Argentina’s earlier 3-0 victory over Algeria. It also marked Austria’s first World Cup win in 36 years, ending a long wait after returning to the tournament for the first time in 28 years.
Although Austria collected all three points, the scoreline did not fully reflect the contest. Jordan were outstanding for large periods, especially in the first half, and looked capable of causing a major upset. However, Austria’s experience and clinical finishing ultimately proved decisive in San Francisco.
