Austria’s players celebrates after Austria’s Sasa Kalajdzic (14) scored to tie the match during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Algeria and Austria in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, June 27, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Sasa Kalajdzic scored in the closing seconds of second-half stoppage time to give Austria a dramatic 3-3 draw with Algeria in a World Cup Group J match Saturday (June 27, 2026) night in Kansas City, Mo., allowing both teams to qualify for the round of 32.
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Austria would have been eliminated with a loss.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also scored for Austria (1-1-1, 4 points), who finished second in the group based on goal differential. The Austrians will face Spain in the round of 32 on Thursday (July 2, 2026) in Inglewood, Calif.
Riyad Mahrez tallied twice, and Rafik Belghali also scored for Algeria (1-1-1, 4 points), who advanced based on being one of the top eight third-place group finishers. They will play Switzerland on Thursday (July 2, 2026) in Vancouver.
Had Algeria held on for a few more seconds to secure the win, they would have drawn Spain in the next round, while Austria would have been eliminated.
Austria’s late goal ended the World Cup run of Iran, who finished 0-0-3 in Group G. Iran nearly made it through as the eighth-best third-place team.
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Mahrez scored his second of the night in the third minute of stoppage time, putting a right-footed shot from just outside the top right of the 6-yard box into the far side netting after a nifty through ball from Houssem Aouar. That goal put Algeria on top 3-2, their first lead of the match.
Austria equalised three minutes later. A cross from the left wing went to Michael Gregoritsch outside the right post. He headed the ball back to Kalajdzic for the tying header from 6 yards out.
Mahrez tied the score at 2-2 in the 60th minute. Aouar drove the ball down the left wing and sent a pass across the goalmouth to Mahrez outside the far post. Mahrez’s left-footed shot from about 8 yards out snuck just inside the right post.
Sabitzer broke a 1-1 tie in the 55th minute. Austria sent a long ball down the right wing for Konrad Laimer. His low cross found Sabitzer alone at the top of the 18-yard box for a one-timer just inside the right post.
Austria opened the scoring in the 28th minute.
David Alaba, from just inside his own half of the field, lofted a pass over the Algerian defense for Arnautovic, who made a perfectly timed run. Goalkeeper Oussama Benbot, making his first appearance in the competition, charged off his line and threw his arms in the air to make himself big, but Arnautovic settled the ball and scuffed a low shot past Benbot from just outside the top of the 6-yard box, the ball crawling over the goal line.
It was the 37-year-old Arnautovic’s 49th international goal, extending his own Austrian record.
Algeria nearly tied the score twice — Fares Chaibi’s 20-yard shot rattled the right post, and Ibrahim Maza’s turnaround from 8 yards was smothered by Austria goalie Alexander Schlager — before getting the equalizer.
A long pass down the right wing for Mahrez hit the corner flag and stayed inbounds. Mahrez was tripped up, but the ball fell to Belghali along the end line. His attempted cross was blocked, but the ball fell right back to Belghali, and he dribbled past one defender to the top right of the 6-yard box before unleashing a left-footed shot over Schlager’s shoulder and into the upper near corner of the net in the 45th minute.
Published – June 28, 2026 10:41 am IST
