Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Schalke midfielder Dejan Ljubicic as a late replacement for Christoph Baumgartner in the 2026 World Cup squad. The announcement came after Baumgartner was ruled out due to a thigh injury sustained before Austria's 1-0 friendly win over Tunisia in June 2026 [1, 2].
Initially, Rangnick decided to keep his original squad despite the injury to Baumgartner. However, he reversed that decision and added Ljubicic, bolstering Austria's midfield options for the tournament [1, 2].
Austria is set to play in Group J, opening their World Cup campaign against Jordan on Tuesday. They will also face Argentina and Algeria in the group stage [1, 2].
The call-up of Ljubicic on June 11 marked the final change to Austria's squad ahead of the tournament [2]. Austria will look to overcome the loss of Baumgartner as they begin their World Cup journey.