Austria's national football team has been eliminated from the World Cup. The team led by Ralf Rangnick lost in the round of 16 to Spain with a score of 0:3.

What happened?

The Austrians had a World Cup within their expectations, but the big hit did not succeed. In the round of 16, Ralf Rangnick's team was ruthlessly shown by European champion Spain how much they lack to reach the top.

Why it wasn't enough

The Austrians conceded nine goals in four World Cup matches - and not just against favorites Argentina and Spain. They also showed defensive weaknesses against outsiders Jordan and Algeria.

What's next?

The minimum goal of surpassing the group stage for the first time since 1982 was achieved. However, the expected energy boost for the ultimately inevitable duel with Spain was missing. | Date | Opponent | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-07-02 | Spain | 0:3 | The Austrians will play their next match on 2026-09-24 against Israel.

An aging squad

The risk of integrating youngsters like Paul Wanner and Carney Chukwuemeka into a functioning team seems to have paid off. The players, trained in Germany and England and heavily courted by Rangnick, presented themselves as reinforcements. Austria's recent form has been 2W-1D-2L, with their last result being the 0:3 loss to Spain on 2026-07-02.