Michael Svoboda
Squad number 25 · Venezia
Their 2026 World Cup
Michael Svoboda travelled to the 2026 World Cup with Austria, wearing number 25, without ever getting on the pitch. His side played 4 matches (1 win, 1 draw and 2 defeats) and bowed out in the round of 32, beaten by Spain 3-0.
Defence went to S. Posch (4 matches, 333′) and D. Alaba (4 matches, 278′).
Another 5 players in the Austria squad ended up the same way, without a single minute. The full run is on the Austria team page.
Biography
Michael Svoboda (born 15 October 1998) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Austria national team.
Early career Svoboda started his career at SV Schwechat, before joining FC Stadlau in 2016. On 23 May 2018, Svoboda joined 2. Liga side WSG Tirol.
Venezia On 20 August 2020, Svoboda signed a three-year contract with Serie B club Venezia. He made his debut for the club on 14 November 2020, in a 2–0 win against Virtus Entella. He scored his first goal for the club on 4 January 2021, in a 1–1 draw with Pisa. On 10 July 2024, Svoboda signed a new two-year contract with the club.
Brighton & Hove Albion On 2 July 2026, Svoboda joined English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
International career Svoboda made his debut for the Austria national team on 10 October 2024 in a UEFA Nations League game against Kazakhstan at the Raiffeisen Arena. He substituted Gernot Trauner in the 62nd minute, as Austria won 4–0.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: Werner100359 · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)