Austria and Algeria scored a goal each in stoppage time en route to a 3-3 thriller in Group J as the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage concluded on early Sunday (Finnish time), with both teams advancing to the knockout stage, reported Xinhua.
Ahead of the match there were two last-32 spots up for grabs. Austria and Algeria went into the game level on three points behind group leader Argentina, with Austria second on goal difference. A draw would send both teams through; a winner would finish as group runner-up, while third-placed Iran of Group G would take the final spot among the best third-placed teams.
The match was flat early on, with few clear openings in the first 20 minutes and spectators booing during a hydration break. Veteran Marko Arnautovic broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, collecting a long ball and beating Algerian goalkeeper Oussama Benbot one-on-one.
Algeria pushed to respond when Ibrahim Maza drove into the box in the 35th minute, but his shot struck the side netting. Four minutes later, Fares Chaibi saw a powerful effort come off the crossbar. Algeria finally equalized just before halftime when Rafik Belghali beat three defenders and smashed the ball into the top right corner.
Austria regained the lead in the 55th minute when an unmarked Marcel Sabitzer struck from just inside the box following a Konrad Laimer cross, but Algeria leveled again five minutes later through Riyad Mahrez.
Both teams slowed the pace after the second hydration break, but Mahrez struck again in stoppage time to put Algeria ahead before Sasa Kalajdzic headed home a last-minute equalizer from a Michael Gregoritsch delivery.
The draw meant Austria progressed beyond the group stage for the first time since 1982, and it will meet Group H winner Spain in Los Angeles on July 2. Algeria claimed the final round-of-32 spot as one of the eight best third-placed teams and will face Switzerland in Vancouver on the same day.
- Austria
- Algeria
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
