Austria edge past Jordan (3-1) with a late Arnautovic penalty in Santa Clara
Schmid opened the scoring, an own goal restored the lead and Arnautovic sealed it from the spot in Austria's Group J opener.
Austria opened with a win in Group J, beating a battling Jordan 3-1 in a match that got complicated before being settled late on at this 2026 World Cup. The game was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara (USA), the modern 68,827-seat venue in the heart of Silicon Valley, known for its sustainable design and the sunny Northern California climate.
The Austrians struck first. In the 21st minute, Romano Schmid made it 1-0 after an assist from Xaver Schlager. Jordan, however, responded early in the second half: in the 50th minute, Ali Olwan netted the 1-1, set up by Nizar Al Rawabdeh, to put the Asian side right back in the contest.
The scales tipped the Europeans' way fortuitously. In the 76th minute, an own goal by Yazan Al Arab restored Austria's lead (2-1), and in the 90th Marko Arnautovic converted a penalty to seal the final 3-1. The only yellow card of the match went to Marcel Sabitzer, booked in the 77th minute.
Austria, managed by Ralf Rangnick, set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Alexander Schlager in goal, David Alaba leading the defence and an attack headed by Sabitzer and Sasa Kalajdzic. Jordan, with Jamal Sellami on the bench, answered with a brave 3-4-2-1 built around the quality of Musa Tamari, who managed to trouble the Austrians.
The win puts Austria as provisional Group J leaders with three points, while Jordan, an exciting tournament debutant, leave empty-handed despite going toe to toe and must bounce back to keep their hopes alive at a 48-team 2026 World Cup spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada.