Austria vs. Jordan | 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J | Wednesday, June 17 | 12AM EST | Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara
Austria (-290) | Draw (+425) | Jordan (+800)
Over 2.5 Goals (-145) | Under 2.5 Goals (+120)
Austria -1.5 (-105) | Jordan +1.5 (-120)
Tuesday evening in Santa Clara, Jordan will write their name into the history books vs. Austria. Stepping out under the lights at Levi’s Stadium for their first ever World Cup fixture, they become one of four teams to make their debut at this year’s tournament. This is an achievement they have been building towards for years, having reached the AFC Asian Cup Final before losing 3-1 to hosts Qatar in 2023.
In 2024, the federation appointed Jamal Sellami. During his two years in charge, the 55-year-old has built Jordan into a force in the region, first steering them through a World Cup qualifying group containing South Korea and Iraq, before guiding them to the final of the 2025 Arab Cup where they finished as runners-up.
Their opponents, Austria, are also on the rise ever since Ralf Rangnick took over in June 2022. The former Manchester United manager is one of the game’s great tactical innovators, the architect behind the revolutionary Gegenpressing philosophy that heavily influenced Jurgen Klopp’s brand of football at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.
At Euro 2024, Austria navigated a difficult group containing France, the Netherlands and Poland before falling to Türkiye 2-1 in the last 16. Now they return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, ending a 28-year absence from the tournament, and arrive with the look of a side still moving in the right direction. Jordan’s historic night may well be a long one.
AUSTRIA TEAM NEWS
Austria arrive at this tournament without the influential Christoph Baumgartner. The RB Leipzig midfielder sustained a muscle injury before the warm-up friendly against Tunisia and had to withdraw from the squad.
Dejan Ljubicic was called up as his replacement after a successful season helping Schalke earn promotion back to the Bundesliga. It looks like Ralf Rangnick will start Michael Gregoritsch behind Marko Arnautović after starting him in their final warm-up match against Tunisia.
Concerns linger over Patrick Wimmer and Florian Grillitsch, though the more pressing fitness question heading into Wednesday has been resolved with David Alaba cleared to start. A ruptured ACL injury in December 2023 has been followed up by recurring muscle and calf issues this season, limiting the Real Madrid defender to just 16 appearances and 582 minutes.
Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer will line up at left back. The central midfielder has been converted by Vincent Kompany into a right-back this season and Rangnick will ask him to do a similar job on the opposite side. He picked up a red card in their final warm-up game against Tunisia but isn’t required to serve a suspension.
Austria Predicted Lineup 4-2-3-1
Manager: Ralf Rangnick
GK: A. Schlager
RB: S. Posch | CB: P. Lienhart | CB: D. Alaba | LB: K. Laimer
CM: X. Schlager | CM: N. Seiwald
LMF: R. Schmid | AMF: M. Gregoritsch | RMF: M. Sabitzer
CF: M. Arnautović
JORDAN TEAM NEWS
Jordan head into the tournament without Yazan Al-Naimat, their most prolific attacking contributor during World Cup qualifying. The Al-Arabi SC forward, who scored eight goals and provided six assists, has been sidelined since December and was unable to recover in time.
In Al-Naimat’s place, Ali Olwan is expected to lead the line. He scored twice in the 3-2 Arab Cup final defeat back in December and will be flanked by Mousa Tamari and Odeh Fakhoury in attack.
Preparations have been further disrupted by the withdrawal of Ibrahim Sabra through injury. The 20-year-old broke into the senior Jordan national team at the age of 18 and is one of their brightest talents. Mohammad Taha has been called up in his place.
Jordan Predicted Lineup 3-4-3
Manager: Jamal Sellami
GK: Y. Abulaila
CB: Y. Al-Arab | CB: A. Nasib | CB: S. Obaid
RWB: E. Haddad | CM: N. M. Al-Rashdan | CM: N. Al-Rawabdeh | LWB: M. A. Taha
RWF: M. Tamari | CF: A. Olwan | LWF: O. A. Fakhoury
MATCH BREAKDOWN
Austria arrive in a good moment. Ralf Rangnick has won 28 of his 46 matches in charge, with nine of those victories coming in their last 11 games. They have also been solid defensively, conceding just seven goals across their last 17 outings. Only once in that run did they concede more than one goal. The build-up to this tournament offers more evidence of defensive stability, beating Ghana 5-1 before shutting out South Korea and Tunisia in back-to-back 1-0 wins.
Jordan present a stark contrast. Sellami’s side are winless in five, conceding 13 goals across that run. The most eye-catching result is a 3-2 defeat to Morocco in the 2025 Arab Cup final, where Jordan scored twice and pushed their opponents to extra time. On the surface, it reads as an impressive performance considering Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil on Saturday, but the fixture was played in December during the middle of the European soccer calendar. Not one player who featured in that Brazil game started the Arab Cup final. Five of the players Jordan fielded in that final are predicted to start against Austria.
One aspect of Austria’s defense worth monitoring is Konrad Laimer at left back. It is an unfamiliar position for him, and Jordan may look to test him early on.
Already without Al-Naimat, Jordan’s attacking threat is further undermined by the condition of the man expected to fill his boots. Ali Olwan secured a move to Al-Sailiya in January 2026 but suffered a severe ankle ligament injury and Achilles soreness that kept him sidelined for three months. He only returned to competitive action on May 31, playing 45 minutes against Switzerland and 78 minutes against Colombia where he managed a total of one shot. Sellami is asking an out-of-form Olwan, still playing into fitness, to shoulder the attacking burden Al-Naimat carried throughout qualifying.
THE BET
Austria’s defensive record points to Rangnick’s side being capable of keeping things tight, and the case for them keeping a clean sheet is strong, especially with Alaba’s inclusion from the start. He is the one player in their ranks who brings genuine world-class talent, and his importance extends beyond his contributions with the ball. Alaba is a natural organizer and communicator, qualities that will be just as valuable to Konrad Laimer as they were to Alphonso Davies during Bayern Munich’s treble-winning 2019-20 season. Davies, thrust into the left-back role at 19, credited Alaba’s in-game communication as one of the main reasons he adapted so quickly. Laimer faces a not dissimilar challenge, operating out of position on an unfamiliar flank. Alaba alongside him boosts his chances of being a success.
Pair that with a Jordan side arriving in desperate attacking shape. Their leading scorer throughout qualifying is watching from home, and the man tasked with replacing him hasn’t found the back of the net since January 18th. There is very little evidence that this Jordan side, as currently constructed, can cause problems for Austria’s well-organized defense.
Back Austria to mark their return after 28 years with three points and a clean sheet.
Betting Tip: A Same Game Parlay of Austria Moneyline and Both Teams to Score NO comes out at +108 on DraftKings. This is the same bet as Austria Win to Zero, available at +110, so check both options at your sportsbook of choice to make sure you’re getting the best price available.
Pick: Austria Win to Zero +110
