Austria vs Jordan – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Austria and Jordan meet at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Wednesday morning to open their World Cup campaigns.

While the defending champions Argentina remain heavy favourites to dominate Group J, the battle for the second automatic qualification spot is wide open. Ralf Rangnick’s side return to the global stage for the first time since 1998, highly motivated to secure an immediate three points.

Facing them are tournament debutants Jordan, who are eager to mark their historic maiden appearance with a spirited performance. This opening fixture carries massive weight in a 48-team format where initial momentum dictates the route to the knockout rounds.

Austria vs Jordan – Match preview and team news

Team news

Austria

The headline news for Austria is the unfortunate pre-tournament absence of Christoph Baumgartner due to a late thigh injury. Dejan Ljubicic has entered the squad as his replacement, forcing Rangnick to reconfigure his advanced midfield structure. Captain David Alaba has fully recovered from the muscle tightness that shortened his recent friendly appearance against Tunisia.

Midfielder Konrad Laimer is available to start at right-back as his recent friendly red card does not carry over to tournament play. Minor fitness concerns persist for Florian Grillitsch and Patrick Wimmer, though neither player is a regular starter.

Jordan

Jordan’s preparations have been heavily disrupted by key absences in the attacking line. Clinical forward Yazan Al Naimat is entirely ruled out after suffering a long-term injury. Ibrahim Sabra also withdrew late from the squad, with Mohammad Taha drafted in as a replacement.

In the absence of their top qualifying scorer, head coach Jamal Sellami will look to dynamic winger Mousa Tamari to lead the line. Tamari is expected to join Ali Olwan and Odeh Fakhoury in a fluid front three.

Form

Austria

Austria enter the tournament in exceptional form after a highly successful qualifying campaign. Rangnick’s side comfortably topped their qualifying group ahead of Bosnia & Herzegovina, suffering just one defeat.

They have successfully maintained that momentum by winning three consecutive warm-up matches against Ghana, South Korea, and Tunisia. Having kept consecutive clean sheets, the Burschen are currently riding a confident five-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.

Jordan

Jordan secured historic qualification by finishing second in their AFC qualifying group to reach their first-ever World Cup. They followed that achievement with a brilliant run to the Arab Cup final, where they lost narrowly to Morocco.

However, their pre-tournament friendly matches have exposed severe defensive vulnerabilities. Sellami’s men are winless in their last five outings, suffering a 4-1 defeat to Switzerland and a 2-0 loss against Colombia.

Predicted lineups

Austria Predicted XI: A Schlager; Laimer, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene; X Schlager, Seiwald; Schmid, Sabitzer, Gregoritsch; Arnautovic

Jordan Predicted XI: Abulaila; Obaid, Al-Arab, Nasib; Haddad, Al Rashdan, Al Rawabdeh, Taha; Tamari, Olwan, Fakhouri

How to watch Austria vs Jordan?

In the United Kingdom, this opening Group J match will be broadcast live on ITV1 and can be streamed via ITVX. Football fans in the United States can watch the full broadcast live on Fox Sports.

Read more – Austria: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule

See Also- Jordan: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok