FIFA World Cup 2026

More than 25 years after their last World Cup appearance, Austria are feeling good about their chances for 2026.

Austria will begin UEFA qualifying in March 2025

They defeated continental giants the Netherlands at EURO 2024

Coach Ralf Rangnick will be leaning on returning stars and talented youth

Austria were considered something of a dark horse heading into the UEFA Euros. A frantic group phase, in which Austria defeated eventual semi-finalists the Netherlands, was followed by a disappointing exit at the hands of Turkiye in the round of 16.

Despite that, the team can feel quietly confident as they look ahead to the FIFA World Cup 26™. FIFA delves into the reasons why:

Ralf Rangnick – The brains behind the transformation

Hired as the manager of the national team in 2022, Ralf Rangnick turned down an offer to train Bayern Munich in the spring to commit himself to the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), sparking wild celebrations among fans across the country.

Saying no to the most successful club in German football history demonstrates how much respect Rangnick has for the ÖFB and also shows the potential of his team. He has stated that he listened to his heart when making the decision.

Since taking up his new role, Rangnick has won 15 out of 28 games played, including victories over Croatia, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. The 66 year-old has relied on a compact 4-2-3-1 formation, with aggressive pressing that aims to force a high rate of turnovers.

This has been evidenced by the team’s PPDA stats (passes per defensive action) which were the second-lowest at the Euros. This stat indicates how many passes a team lets the opposition make before taking a defensive action. On average, Austria allows their opponents just a little over eight passes.

Another major strength of Rangnick’s Austria is their transition from defence to attack. After a turnover, the team plays the ball up the field at lightning speed, attacking the opposition’s goal with a large number of players. Under their German coach, Austria are a hard team to play against and have shown that they can outclass high-quality opposition.

Return of top performers

Qualification for the World Cup begins in March 2025 and for Austria, it is vital that they can call on experienced players like David Alaba or Michael Gregoritsch – and that these players are at the top of their game. Captain of the national side and an all-round leader, Alaba has been out since December 2023 with an ACL tear.

The 32 year-old, who plays for Real Madrid, has been sorely missed since picking up the injury. As Rangnick recently emphasised, “David Alaba is not coming back any time soon, not even in November. The earliest he’ll play for us is in the World Cup qualifiers in March.”

Austrian fans could be forgiven for getting lost in thoughts of “What if…” In addition to Alaba, star forward Sasa Kalajdzic and Xaver Schlager, the latter a central cog in midfield, also missed the Euros with long-term knee injuries and are still being put through their paces in rehab.

Gregoritsch, on the other hand, has now returned to training. If these four top performers can get back to fitness in time for the World Cup qualifiers and find their place in Rangnick’s system, any team in the world will need a solid plan for how to beat Austria.

Rangnick has also given some of the younger players a chance, with one of them – Leopold Querfeld – even making the squad for the Euros. The 20-year-old, who made the move to Bundesliga side Union Berlin over the summer, is the prototype of the modern centre-back that Rangnick values so much in his system.

Among his many incredible talents, the Vienna-native exhibits outstanding technical skills in setting up plays. “He’s grown into one of our key players,” said the national coach recently. While he only made one brief appearance at the Euros, during the group phase, if his development continues on its current trajectory, he is sure to pick up more minutes on the road to World Cup 26.