Wrap-up
And I’ll leave you with the match report from Alex Abnos in Kansas City, trying to explain exactly what we all just witnessed.
See you in the knock-outs!
Nick Ames was at the Argentina v Jordan match. Here’s his take on the irrepressible Lionel Messi, who came off the bench to make even more World Cup history.
We now say goodbye to Iran, whose World Cup was affected by some of the most extreme restrictions and barriers that any competing nation has experienced.
Following their dramatic draw against Egypt yesterday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei was scathing of how hosts USA had treated the team:
“I know Mr Infantino has tried his best to minimise the problems as much as possible but it was the host that wasn’t very good to us,” Ghalenoei said in his post-match press conference. “I urge Fifa to not let the hosts treat teams and players the same way in the future. I hope Mr Infantino will actually stand up to such behaviour.”
They’ll have been watching this game through their fingers, with their World Cup fate out of their hands. Sadly, that’s in keeping with the rest of their tournament.
Farhan writes in twice: firstly as the game was just ticking into stoppage time to complain about how boring the preceding half had been, then again literally four minutes later after Algeria had gone 3-2 ahead before Austria rescued a draw in the last second of the match.
“I spoke too soon! Commiserations to Iran, who won’t feel as bad as they would have had these two teams played out a dull draw. Instead, we got a blinder of a stoppage time drama. Hope more games are like this one.”
Huge same. How good is the World Cup?
We now have our final round of 32 match-ups:
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Germany v Paraguay
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France v Sweden
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South Africa v Canada
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Netherlands v Morocco
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Portugal v Croatia
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Spain v Austria
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United States v Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Belgium v Senegal
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Brazil v Japan
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Cote d’Ivoire v Norway
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Mexico v Ecuador
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England v DR Congo
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Argentina v Cape Verde
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Australia v Egypt
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Switzerland v Algeria
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Colombia v Ghana
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This result means that Austria finish Group J in second spot, and will face Spain in the round of 32.
Algeria, meanwhile, scrape into third and will face Switzerland. They certainly seem to have drawn the better end of that stick, you’d think.
The unlucky nation in all of this, of course, is Iran, who fall outside of the top 8 best third-placed teams on goal difference. Their deeply disrupted tournament is over.
So many fans had left the stadium having watched Algeria and Austria pass the ball back and forth amongst themselves for 25+ minutes. Boy, you’d have to feel sorry for them now, as they’ve just missed one of the most memorable games in World Cup history.
“That is one of the best things I have ever experienced in my life,” says one of the broadcast commentators.
Both teams spent the vast majority of that second half walking around the pitch in what felt like a silent agreement between the two to keep things level and not do anything rash or silly.
Boy, were we wrong. A stoppage-time goal from Riyad Mahrez, who put Algeria ahead for the first time in this game, sent the fear of God into Austria, whose substitute Sasa Kalajdzic – who’d come on mere moments earlier – popped up in the last second of the game to head home an equaliser.
I just cannot believe what I’ve seen.
Full-time: Algeria 3-3 Austria
Austria equalise with the last kick of the game, sending both teams through to the round of 32 after one of the most insane games of World Cup football you will ever see. Iran is out.
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GOAL! Algeria 3-3 Austria (Kalajdzic, 90+5)
AUSTRIA PULL A GOAL BACK! THEY’VE SAVED THEIR WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN!
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90+4 mins: I cannot believe what just happened. Riyad Mahrez, the captain, glides in behind Austria’s complacent back-line and, with his first touch, fizzes the ball into the bottom corner. Austria’s players are shell-shocked. They have to equalise if they want to remain in the tournament.
GOAL! Algeria 3-2 Austria (Mahrez, 90+4)
OMG ALGERIA ARE GOING TO WIN AND SEND IRAN THROUGH TO THE ROUND OF 32. AUSTRIA ARE OUT.
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90+2 mins: The crowd is whistling more loudly now, either out of rage or trying to gently bully the referee to do it sooner rather than later and put them out of their boredom misery.
90+1 mins: The sassy co-commentator, upon watching Algeria pass the ball backwards, says: “They’re passing the ball backwards, just so you know.” That is, indeed, what has been happening for the past 20 minutes.
90 mins: There hasn’t been a shot since the last hydration break. This really has become quite comical. Four minutes of added time.
89 mins: The fans sound like they’re getting restless. Some are beginning to whistle, others are chanting something I can’t hear. It’s not very exciting at the moment, but you can’t deny that this hasn’t been a fun game when both teams actually decided to play.
86 mins: I spoke too soon. This half has definitely descended into a biscotto. Algeria have five players gathered around the centre-circle and are passing it calmly back and forth between each other. Austria are lined up in their half, jogging a few metres one way, and then a few metres the other way, following the ball. They’re not pressing anymore, just allowing Algeria to have possession.
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Jonathan has written in with his take on this ironic draw:
“After today, Algeria no longer had standing to complain about what happened in Gijon.”
In case you missed this fascinating piece of history, check out the below yarn.
83 mins: Algeria win a free kick about 35 yards outside Austria’s penalty area. After a long, drawn out moment of build-up, including several dramatic steps backwards Roberto-Carlos-esque, the ball is safely passed to a nearby teammate and moved around again. Lol.
82 mins: Ait-Nouri seems to have gotten bored of this conservative approach, with the Algerian substitute deciding to attack down the left. He takes on Austria’s right-back and skips past him, squaring into the box for a team-mate, but it’s just out of reach of Mahrez and lumped away by a red shirt.
81 mins: One of the co-commentators has just described these past 15 minutes as “an exhibition match” and a “training game”. Neither team really wants to push this and make any mistakes when this 2-2 draw helps them both.
Meanwhile, Argentina have just taken a 3-1 lead through the substitute Lionel Messi, who becomes the first male player to score in seven consecutive World Cup games.
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79 mins: A long ball from Algeria’s back-line is headed out for a throw by Austrian centre-back Lienhart. Instead of trying to attack from the throw-in, Algeria move the ball backwards to their defenders, who calmly pass back and forth between each other.
77 mins: As things stand, both teams will progress to the round of 32, with Austria facing Spain and Algeria taking on Switzerland. But a single goal to either team could change things dramatically. The question is: will either of them want to?
76 mins: Austria with a poor give-away in midfield, which sees Riyad Mahrez pick up the ball near the centre-circle. He’s immediately swarmed with red shirts, though, and passes out of pressure. Algeria now moving the ball around carefully between their back-line, drawing “olay!”s from the crowd.
74 mins: Algeria are probing down the left wing, with Ait-Nouri immediately with a step-over and cute slide past an Austrian defender. It doesn’t come off, but nice to see him going for it.
71 mins: We’re back, with Algeria having made three changes during the hydration break. Rayan Ait-Nouri, Samir Chergui, and Zineddine Belaid are on for Gouiri, Hadjam, and the goal-scorer Belghali.
Meanwhile, the biggest drama of this World Cup – Alexi Lalas v Everyone – continues over on Fox. Thank you to Justin for keeping us updated:
“Alexi Lalas has completely lost the plot while SCREAMING loudly about that Algeria goal. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Thierry Henry’s or Zlatan’s faces, but I’d imagine that if looks could kill, they’d have formed a firing squad.”
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Farhan had written in before the two most recent goals were scored, perhaps jinxing things?
“Algeria may yet have bitter memories from the Gijon game but these two teams might just choose to defend their position from here. This would obviously outrage Iran, who have been quite brave throughout the tournament while having to fly thousands of miles to and from Tijuana for every game.”
There is so much to say about Iran’s difficult circumstances while competing in this World Cup. For them to go out due to the result of an entirely different game would be yet another cosmic unfairness, you’d think.
68 mins: A much-needed hydration break for them and for us! Goodness me.
67 mins: Austria win a corner after Mwene clangs a cross off Belghali after sprinting onto a long ball. Danso rises highest, but he’s moving backwards slightly and can’t redirect his header on goal.
65 mins: So close for Austria! They’re starting to turn the screw a bit more now, with Seiwald opening his body up about 20 yards out and spearing a shot just over the crossbar.
64 mins: Austria try to pounce with a series of sharp, angled passes that slices through Algeria’s midfield. The substitute Gregoritsch had made an angled run to the right and tries to curl a cross back towards the penalty spot but an Algerian defender throws themselves in the way and the ball is cleared.
62 mins: Austria make a substitution with Kevin Danso coming on to replace David Alaba. A slight worry about the fitness of their captain, perhaps?
61 mins: So much for this match turning into a biscotto! It has sprung to life once again in this second half, with Mahrez finally scoring his much-desired World Cup goal. What a great way to end this electric day of group-stage games.
GOAL! Algeria 2-2 Austria (Mahrez, 60)
Algeria are back in it! A brave, driving run from the left sees the ball squared across the six-yard area for the captain, stationed at the back of the box, to tap easily home.
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54 mins: An excellent turn and run by Konrad Laimer down the right started this move, ghosting in behind Algeria’s left-back Hadjam. He arrows a square pass across the top of the box, with the excellent Marcel Sabitzer sprinting in from the opposite flank towards the D and rockets the ball into the net at over 100kmph.
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GOAL! Algeria 1-2 Austria (Sabitzer, 54)
Austria are back in the lead after a brutal counter-attack!
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54 mins: After a few minutes of easy passes back and forth between Algeria’s centre-backs, they finally find an avenue down the left wing. A nice in-field pass finds Maza near the top of the box, who tries a tricky turn and is clattered into the grass by two Austrian defenders, but the referee waves him up as the ball is cleared.
51 mins: The energy we saw closing the first half has all but drained away here in the second. Perhaps both teams have been told during the half-time break that a draw suits them both, as neither are really committing to any forward movements. Algeria’s right centre-back Mandi has just screamed at a team-mate for an overhit pass that gave a throw away to Austria. Those are the silly mistakes they can’t afford to make.
50 mins: An enormous cross-field switch from Austria’s right-back Posch aims for Mwene, who’d overlapped down the left, but it’s just too long and misses his outstretched leg.
48 mins: Austria have a brief moment down the left after a give-away. Three players form a neat triangle near the top corner of Algeria’s penalty area, moving it around neatly. But a poor cross into the box, not really aiming for anyone, is hoofed away.
47 mins: Algeria are on the ball early in the second half, moving it back and forth between their centre-backs, trying to find channels on either side. No rushing here, understandably. They need a draw at a minimum to progress to the next round, so won’t want to be doing anything silly.
Second half kick-off!
It’s 1-1. Will it stay that way?
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Key event
Austria make a trio of changes at the break: Michael Gregoritsch, Florian Grillitsch, and Paul Wanner are on for Schlager, Arnautovic, and Schmid.
While we’re praising performances, Peter has written in with an unlikely contender: “That was an excellent assist by the corner flag for Algeria’s goal! Sumptuous touch for a rigid piece of plastic and metal!”
An important secondary assist for Corner Flag.
It’s been a super fun first 45 minutes between Algeria and Austria.
Many of us feared a safe, conservative approach from both sides given a draw will see them both progress to the knock-outs, but instead we’ve seen two teams who are really going for it.
The stats from the first half show us as much:
Possession: 57% (Algeria) to 43% (Austria).
Shots: 7 v 6.
Shots on target: 2 v 2.
xG: 0.66 v 0.63.
Corners: 0 v 2.
Passes completed: 273 v 210.
Elsewhere, Argentina head into half-time still 2-0 ahead of Jordan.
You can follow that liveblog here if you’d like:
Some praise from Joshua here for Austrian goal-scorer Marko Arnautovic, who has popped up at a few key moments today but is certainly looking a gear slower than what he was in his prime Premier League days:
“I’m a Stoke City fan and we had Arnautovic for a few years. I can’t help but love him. He’s definitely a “character” and can be kind of a jerk, but he is absolutely capable of magic at times.”
Half-time: Algeria 1-1 Austria
Whew! What an end to that half! At this stage, both sides are progressing to the round of 32.
45+1 mins: Austria try to bounce back immediately, with a corner floated deep and headed back in towards Arnautovic. He sticks a foot into the air to try and catch it, but Benbot makes a flying punch to send the ball upfield.
45 mins: 4 minutes of added time.
GOAL! Algeria 1-1 Austria (Belghali, 45)
Algeria have equalised after the ball bizarrely bounces off the corner flag, allowing Riyad Mahrez to pounce and find the right-back Rafik Belghali, who dinks and feints past two Austrian defenders before rifling it into the roof of the net.
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44 mins: So close for Algeria! A gorgeous curling ball comes in from the right towards Maza, who’d ghosted in behind centre-back Lienhart. It’s headed poorly away, deflecting off Mahrez and back into Maza’s path, who turns on a dime and shoots, but the keeper makes a great smothering save.
42 mins: It’s Mahrez’s turn to shoot now, with Algeria recycling the ball quickly around the top of Austria’s penalty area. It falls to the winger who watches three red shirts coalesce in front of him, but has a go anyway, cracking the ball into the torso of a defender before being cleared upfield.
41 mins: Austria come down the other end to try and double their lead, with an almost-perfect chipped past searching for Arnautovic near the six-yard line, but a desperate white leg is flung backwards to toe it away.
40 mins: So close for Algeria! A wonderful move down the right with Mahrez performing two step-overs before squaring for Chaibi, who opens his body near the top of the D and unleashes a venomous shot low and hard towards the front post. Schlager dives to his left desperately, but the ball cannons back off the base of the post and is cleared.
38 mins: A rehearsed short corner from Austria goes badly wrong, with Alaba passing the ball straight to an Algerian defender near the top of the box. It ricochets off his shin and into the path of a red shirt, who volleys it into the stand. Goal kick.
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36 mins: The brilliant Ibrahim Maza takes the game on himself, slaloming through three Austrian defenders down the left side of the penalty area. His angle grows narrower and narrower with every step, though, and he thwacks his shot into the side netting.
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35 mins: As it stands, Algeria will be out of this World Cup on goal difference, with Iran taking the final third-placed spot. They need a draw at the very least to progress.
34 mins: Riyad Mahrez tries to send Algeria away after Sabitzer missed a tackle. The former Manchester City star dribbles in-field and tries a step-over, but trips over the ball and gives it away.
32 mins: Algeria are down the other end now, with Chaibi latching onto a lovely first touch from the right and taking two steps into the top corner of the box before fizzing his low shot just wide of the far post.
31 mins: Austria have the wind in their sails now. Konrad Laimer tears down the right side and cuts into the box, sending a flat square pass along the six-yard line that’s just cut out by Benbot.
29 mins: Arnautovic is at it again, bending his run between the two centre-backs to try and latch onto yet another long ball, this time from the right side of midfield. But he’s leaned slightly too far and is called offside as he sends his shot wide of the far post.
28 mins: David Alaba sends a long, direct ball over the top of the entire field and into Arnautovic’s path, who snuck in behind Algeria’s centre-backs. The ball bounces once into the box, with the 37-year-old hesitating slightly before poking a toe at it, curling the ball around the onrushing keeper.
GOAL! Algeria 0-1 Austria (Arnautovic, 28)
The veteran striker gives Austria the lead!
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27 mins: We’re back on with Algeria’s Chaibi sending a bending deep cross bouncing past Austria’s far post.
Arief also asks about the third-placed permutations: “Why has Senegal confirmed in last-32? Would they (and Iran) be eliminated if Algeria and Austria both draw today??”
Senegal’s goal difference has saved them here, I believe. If Algeria draw with Austria today, the only team that’ll be bumped out of the third-placed teams will be Iran.
On that note, Peter from Kansas City has written in:
“As Algeria and Austria kick off here at 9PM local time, it is brutally humid and hot. The humidity is around 80%, which makes the overall atmosphere incredibly difficult. Despite the late kickoff time, this is one match where the hydration break will definitely be appreciated.
“As for the match itself, put me down for an Algeria win. The Algerian team has been incredibly warmly embraced by the town of Lawrence, Kansas (about an hour west of Arrowhead Stadium), where they have their base camp. In local interviews, the team seems really fired up because of this unexpected support. Oh, and the chance at revenge after 1982 is not a bad motivator either.”
There’s supposedly an extreme heat warning for the next week in Missouri, so these mid-half drinks breaks may actually serve their real purpose going forward.
22 mins: Austria with some sustained possession now, slowly creeping up the field. Algeria bunker into their penalty area to keep their opponents wide, forcing them back to their centre-backs, who horse-shoe the ball around. Aaaaaand the first hydration break is called.
20 mins: In today’s other match, Argentina have taken the lead against Jordan through a Giovani Lo Celso free kick.
17 mins: A poor give-away by Algeria falls to Arnautovic, who turns and carries the ball towards Algeria’s back-line. He’s running badly though, and a run from Sabitzer down the left isn’t met by a pass. The striker is tackled after a poor, heavy touch, and he begins to limp a little.
15 mins: Riyad Mahrez has barely touched the ball for Algeria so far. The captain has dropped further into central midfield to try and affect the play, and delivers a lovely switch out to the left where he started the game.
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13 mins: Austria are almost away after a lovely slicing pass into Sabitzer on the left, but as he cuts in-field, he’s tackled awkwardly by an Algerian midfielder and loses the ball. Potential foul there, but it’s waved away. Game starting to heat up a bit more now.
11 mins: An early yellow card for Marko Arnautovic, who swings a wild arm into the face of Algeria’s centre-back Mandi while grappling for the ball. The Austrian striker tries to make the case that he couldn’t see his opponent and that the elbow was accidental. Doesn’t matter, really.
10 mins: Some gorgeous skills from the young Maza, who’s sent a few Austrian players spinning so far. He flicks the ball over himself from a throw before feinting beautifully and trying to volley from 25 yards, but it spirals wildly over and into the stands.
9 mins: Austria with another long throw, which Alaba – stationed on the six-yard line – almost tries to bicycle after it’s headed poorly, but he pulls out as an Algerian head comes crashing through to conk it away.
8 mins: Algeria are struggling to progress the ball down their flanks, with Austria crowding them out through a high press. Rangnick’s side are doing well to pounce on those errors, with Schlager rocketing the first shot of the game over the crossbar from quite a way out.
6 mins: Austria are looking very organised off the ball, immediately snapping back into two deep banks and double-teaming any Algerian player who has the ball. Most of the action has happened between the two boxes so far, with each team taking turns to move the ball around a bit, before pouncing on each other the closer they get to the penalty area.
4 mins: Austria’s David Alaba trots up to the left wing to launch a long throw into Algeria’s penalty area. There’s a bit of a scuffle near the front post, but the ball bounces harmlessly out for a goal kick.
3 mins: Both sides have had some moments on the ball, with Algeria finding a bit of space down the left and across the top of Austria’s box before being eased away by Algeria’s crowded lines. Certainly neither team is going for it at the moment.
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1 min: The Algerian crowd has already begun to whistle when the ball is in Austria’s possession, while the Austrian crowd has started to “olay!” when it’s passed between Algeria’s centre-backs.
Kick-off!
Tooooot. We’re on.
Martin has written in with what I think are very reasonable and practical solutions to the questions raised by today’s match.
“It’s clear that there’s an advantage for the teams playing later in the third round, knowing what result they need to aim for to secure a third-place spot.
“To eliminate that advantage, Fifa should ensure all third round games for all groups kick off simultaneously. 24 games all at once!
“Obviously fans might complain about not being able to follow all the games but that can be solved by having six hydration breaks each half, allowing fans to see highlights from some of the other games.
“Not having enough stadiums is resolvable by having two games take place on the same pitch at the same time. Pretty sure VAR can help keep track of whose ball is whose.”
While we wait for kick-off, what’s your tip for today, team?
How strongly does the four-decade grudge between these two nations course through the current players’ veins? Will they go all-out against one another to avenge their ancestors?
Or will we see an incredibly ironic draw gently played out, allowing both teams to progress at the expense of the luckless Iran?
Send me an email with your thoughts, feelings, premonitions, visions, hunches, hopes, and/or dreams.
The teams are emerging from the tunnel and snaking around the centre-circle to prepare for the anthems.
Algeria are wearing their all-white kits today, while Austria are in their traditional red jersey with black shorts and socks.
If you’d like to keep up with today’s simultaneous Group J game between Argentina (already qualified in top spot) and Jordan (already eliminated), you can follow Rob Smyth’s live-blog below.
The scenes from DR Congo’s victory over Uzbekistan were gorgeous. Players leaping around, hugging, crying, flying their nation’s flags.
They’re through to the round of 32 for the very first time after one of the longest qualification campaigns for this World Cup. Their reward? England on Wednesday. Thoughts and prayers.
Elsewhere, Colombia’s terrific group stage will see them face Ghana in the next phase, while Portugal are now set for a delicious knock-out game against Croatia.
What about Algeria? Well…
While Austria appears to have a solidity and certainty to their style, the opposite appears to be true of Algeria.
Their yo-yo performances during their two group matches so far has left us wondering exactly what version of Algeria we’ll see today. Even their expert writer Maher Mezahi couldn’t really predict which team would show up at the World Cup – which could be a blessing or a curse for Austria today.
Algeria are one of this World Cup’s great unknowns. On paper, this team has an impressive recent record: a friendly victory over the Netherlands made it 21 wins, four draws and three defeats from 28 matches under Vladimir Petkovic, with 67 goals scored. The problem is that it has been achieved against generally poor-quality opposition. Algeria’s qualifying campaign was a breeze, with Guinea and Mozambique – both considered Pot C sides on the continent – being their sternest tests.
The most reliable gauge of their true level was the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they produced some of the tournament’s most compelling football. The Fennecs toyed with various formations, playing a classic flat four, reinforcing defence with five and even using a 4-3-3 with two full-backs, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Jaouen Hadjam, on the left flank. They pressed intensely, dominated possession, patiently built from goal kicks, and fluidly progressed the ball through defensive lines.
Then came Nigeria in the quarter-finals and everything unravelled. Petkovic’s starting lineup was off, his adjustments arrived far too late and inconsistent officiating added another layer of misfortune to an evening where nearly every Algerian player underperformed. The lingering question is whether that collapse was an outlier or a warning sign of how this side responds when the stakes are higher against top opposition. That we don’t have an answer is the main reason why Algeria arrive at the World Cup as an unproven commodity.
What kind of football might we see from Austria today, then?
If you, like me, have been so overwhelmed with World Cup games that you haven’t been able to consume them all and still have time for basic life tasks, you may be coming into this match wondering exactly what kind of football we’re expecting to see from Austria.
Luckily, the Guardian put together team guides for every nation, so I’ll allow Andreas Hagenauer to explain for us all:
Austria want to stress opponents, force the pace of the game, win the ball back quickly and turn mistakes into chances. A few years ago that felt fresh and modern; now, high pressing and aggressive counterpressing are hardly revolutionary, and if the structure slips even slightly, the approach can expose a team badly. Austria, however, almost never lose that balance. They have absorbed Rangnick’s ideas to the point of reflex.
“We have a very ball-oriented approach,” Rangnick said. “Where the ball is, we create overloads. We sprint at the opponent, close off his passing lanes and force errors and turnovers. And when we have the ball, backward or sideways passes are not our preferred option. We want to play forward.”
Austria know exactly what they are. More importantly, the players know each other very well. This is a side built less on stardom than on familiarity, trust and collective movement. The players have been together for years, the hierarchy is flat, and they often describe the squad as a family. In football that word is thrown around lightly but, with Austria, it rings true.
Sounds fun. I’m in.
The results from Group K are now confirmed.
DR Congo have defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, rocketing up into the top 8 of the best third-placed teams. This result means South Korea are eliminated from the round of 32.
Colombia, who had a late potential winner chalked off for offside, qualify for the knock-outs in first position after finishing 0-0 with Portugal.
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Today’s match takes place at Kansas City Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.
A fun trivia fact: in 2013, in an NFL match between the Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, the crowd at the stadium set a Guinness World Record for the loudest recorded noise at 137.5 decibels.
That record was quickly broken a few months later in Seattle, but Kansas fans weren’t having it, so they shouted even louder in September of 2014 in a Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots to reclaim the record at 142.2 decibels.
Not sure the local Algerian or Austrian crowd will quite match that, but they could get close.
Check out today’s earlier results via the match reports below.
In Group L, England defeated Panama 2-0 while Croatia edged past Ghana 2-1.
And the final matches of Group K are currently underway.
Colombia are currently 0-0 with Portugal in the wrestle for top spot, while DR Congo have just taken a 2-1 lead against Uzbekistan to determine who could squeeze through in third.
Follow all the action in our liveblogs below.
Austria XI
Austria makes three changes following their loss to Argentina, the biggest of which is veteran striker Marko Arnautovic starting ahead of Michael Gregoritsch.
Philipp Lienhart takes the place of Kevin Danso at centre-back, while Phillipp Mwene slots into left-back to release Konrad Laimer back into midfield, with Paul Wanner dropping to the bench.
Austria (4-2-3-1): 1 Schlager; 16 Mwene, 8 Alaba, 15 Lienhart, 5 Posch; 20 Laimer, 6 Seiwald; 9 Sabitzer, 4 Schlager, 18 Schmid; 7 Arnautovic.
Algeria XI
Four changes for Algeria after their win over Jordan.
Goalkeeper Oussama Benbot takes the place of Luca Zidane, while left-back Yaouen Hadjam replaces Rayan Ait-Nouri. Nabil Bentaleb comes into midfield alongside Houssem Aouar, both of whom take the place of Ramiz Zerrouki and Hicham Boudaoui.
Algeria XI (4-3-3): 16 Benbot; 17 Belghali, 2 Mandi, 21 Bensebaini, 13 Hadjam; 19 Bentaleb, 8 Aouar, 22 Maza; 7 Mahrez, 10 Chaibi; 9 Gouiri.
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So what can we expect from today’s match between Algeria and Austria?
Austria’s opening 3-1 win over Jordan was their first World Cup victory since 1990, with 37-year-old Marko Arnautovic coming off the bench to turn the tide for Ralf Rangnick’s side. The polarising striker had a goal disallowed in the 69th minute before forcing an own goal and scoring a penalty in a dominant second half.
But that jubilant start came to a screeching halt after Austria were faced with the might and magic of Lionel Messi, whose brace lifted Argentina to a 2-0 victory in their second group match.
Austria played well in that game, filled with fight and exhaustive gegenpressing, and did well to force Argentina to find solutions to their crisp passing and lingering transitional dangers. Unfortunately, there is only so much a team can do when they come up against the best player in the world.
Austria, then, will be feeling confident coming into this final outing against Algeria. They’ve been competitive so far, though there are some questions over where their goals will come from as they haven’t looked super convincing in the final third.
Their opponents, meanwhile, have similar Messi-related traumas after Argentina thumped them 3-0 on the opening day. That was Messi’s hat-trick day, sliding three easy goals past a lacklustre Algeria, which started with a chalked-off tap-in just five minutes after kick-off.
Algeria’s back-line was pulled apart with ease, and while they had some organised and high-energy moments going forward, they couldn’t convert the few chances they created.
Their second match against Jordan, though, reminded fans of the kind of football that earned them a reputation during qualifying. Their 2-1 win over the tournament debutants thanks in part to a stand-out performance from veteran winger Riyad Mahrez, who was brought back into the starting side after being bizarrely rested against Argentina.
Austria may be slight favourites coming into today’s game based on the past two games’ worth of form, but given the long history between these two teams, anything is possible.
Here are the confirmed last-32 matches so far. Anyone else absolutely frothing for Netherlands v Morocco and Brazil v Japan?
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Germany v Paraguay
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France v Sweden
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South Africa v Canada
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Netherlands v Morocco
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Croatia v Group K runner-up
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Spain v Group J runner-up
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USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Belgium v Group A/I/J 3rd
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Brazil v Japan
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Cote d’Ivoire v Norway
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Mexico v Ecuador
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England v Group I/K 3rd
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Argentina v Cape Verde
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Australia v Egypt
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Switzerland v Group G/J 3rd
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Ghana v Group K winner
Peter sharing what many may be thinking about today’s match: “The weight of history between these two sides points to only one collusion - I mean conclusion. Win or go home. [Checks notes. Scratches head.] I mean win or go on to the next round, maybe.”
We’ve already seen some extraordinary results on the final match day, giving a delightful shape and some tasty match-ups to the round of 32.
South Africa shocked South Korea 1-0 to finish second in Group A on four points and will face Canada in Los Angeles.
Ecuador’s brilliant 2-1 win over Germany secured their spot as Group E’s third-placed team, with their next round opponent still to be decided.
Japan’s surprising 1-1 draw with Sweden saw them top their group, though it has put them on a collision-course with Brazil in the first knock-out stage.
Paraguay’s gritty 1-0 win over Turkey followed by their 0-0 draw against Australia helped them qualify in third place in Group D, where they’ll now face Germany in Foxborough in two days’ time.
But there was perhaps no better final-day story than Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia yesterday. Having bagged three points from three impressive draws in the group stage, the World Cup’s smallest nation finished second in their group after Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0, qualifying them for the round of 32 on their tournament debut.
Unfortunately they’ll be meeting Argentina in Miami on July 3, though I’m sure they’ll just be happy to be there no matter the result.
How does Group J look going into this final match day?
Unsurprisingly, World Cup holders Argentina enter their last game in first spot with two wins from their opening two games (6 points).
Behind them is Austria (3 points), who sit ahead of Algeria (3 points) only on a goal difference of 2. Jordan, meanwhile, have already been eliminated after losing both of their opening matches (0 points).
As things stand, a draw between Algeria and Austria will see both teams through to the round of 32. The stakes are highest for Algeria, who currently sit just one spot outside the eight best third-placed teams. One more point will shoot them up into the top six of those teams.
If Algeria defeat Austria, however, the latter will suddenly find themselves in that third-placed race where, depending on how many goals they lose by, they can either scrape through or get knocked out.
But there is another question: will either of these teams actually want to finish second? While a third-placed finish could result in a round of 32 match against a patchy Belgium or Switzerland, the runner-up from Group J will have to play Spain in the next stage.
Might Austria try to wriggle out of second spot by deliberately losing to Algeria in order to avoid European Championship holders? Will Algeria grit their teeth and grind out a draw to force Austria into Spain’s path? Or will the history between them eclipse all of that and result in one of the most memorable matches of this World Cup?
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the last game of an action-packed final day of the World Cup group stage, which sees Algeria take on Austria. Kick-off for today’s match at Kansas City Stadium will be 9:00pm local time (10pm EDT/3am BST/12pm AEST).
Ever since the World Cup draw was conducted last December, fans of niche football history circled today’s clash between Algeria and Austria.
Why? Because 44 years ago, a World Cup game between these two nations resulted in a rule that would fundamentally shape the future of the sport, including one that affects this very match.
In 1982, at the World Cup in Spain, Algeria won their opening game against West Germany 2-1. They lost the next game to Austria, but beat Chile in their final group clash.
Crucially, that game was played before West Germany played Austria, which gave both European nations an information advantage: they knew that West Germany needed to win by one or two goals in order for both of them to progress.
And so, it came to pass. West Germany scored in the 10th minute, and for the 80+ minutes that followed, both teams simply passed the ball around without really trying to do anything further. As Maher Mezahi writes in this excellent re-telling of that fateful game:
The pretense of honest competition dissolved almost entirely. At one point, Uli Stielike stopped the ball and surveyed the pitch five times before settling on a five-yard pass. Paul Breitner spent 20 unhurried seconds walking laterally with the ball in his own half. The Austria midfielder Reinhold Hintermaier feigned ambition and his theatrical effort sailed 20 yards over, deceiving no one.
The score stood, West Germany and Austria went through to the next round, and Algeria was knocked out.
This game is now famously known as the “Disgrace of Gijon”, and while Fifa didn’t listen to Algeria’s formal complaints at the time, they did implement a new rule requiring that final group-stage matches be played simultaneously to avoid the information advantage that West Germany and Austria benefited from.
Hence why today’s match kicks off at the same time as Group J’s other clash between Jordan and Argentina.
It’s also given some additional intergenerational spice to a game between two nations vying for knock-out football once again. In an incredible coincidence, a draw today could see both teams go through - but whether they’ll want that is a different question entirely.
While we wait for the team sheets, give Mezahi’s yarn a read. It sets the historical scene perfectly for what could be a truly memorable 90 minutes of football.
