Austria finally tasted World Cup victory again after a 36-year wait, but they were forced to dig deep before overcoming spirited debutants Jordan 3-1 in a thrilling Group J encounter.
On a night filled with drama, stunning goals, VAR controversy and late twists, Ralf Rangnick’s side secured three valuable points and moved level with Argentina at the top of the group. Yet the scoreline only told part of the story, as Jordan announced themselves on football’s biggest stage with a display full of courage and ambition.
The atmosphere at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium reflected the occasion. Austria were making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, while Jordan were stepping into the tournament spotlight for the very first time. Both teams embraced the moment.
Austria struck first through a goal worthy of any World Cup highlight reel. In the 20th minute, Romano Schmid collected a simple pass from Xaver Schlager and unleashed a thunderous effort from distance that flew into the top corner.
The strike carried added significance. Schmid became the first Austrian player to score from outside the penalty area at a World Cup since Ivica Vastic achieved the feat against Chile in 1998.
Jordan refused to be intimidated. They had arrived in the tournament after a remarkable qualifying campaign that produced a record 32 goals, and their attacking confidence remained clear throughout.
Their reward came five minutes after the restart. Noor Al Rawabdeh released Ali Olwan into open space, and the striker produced a moment of brilliance. Carrying the ball from inside his own half, he surged forward before curling a magnificent finish beyond Alexander Schlager and off the post.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among the large Jordanian support and briefly raised hopes of a famous upset.
Austria responded by increasing the pressure. Marko Arnautovic thought he had restored the lead after Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila failed to deal with a corner, but VAR intervened and ruled out the goal for handball in the buildup.
That setback did not derail Rangnick’s men. From another corner in the 76th minute, Marcel Sabitzer’s delivery took a cruel touch off defender Yazan Al Arab and rolled into the net for an unfortunate own goal.
Jordan’s resistance finally broke in stoppage time when Saleem Obaid handled Arnautovic’s cross. The veteran forward calmly converted the penalty to seal Austria’s first World Cup win since beating the United States in 1990.
Despite defeat, Jordan left the field with pride. They matched Austria with 11 shots and produced one of the tournament’s finest goals so far.
