Austria chose to bench veteran striker and all-time top scorer Marko Arnautovic for their Group J World Cup opener against debutants Jordan on June 16, 2026 [1, 2]. Instead, Sasa Kalajdzic started in attack, supported by Romano Schmid, Xaver Schlager, and Marcel Sabitzer in a three-pronged line behind him [1, 2].
The match marked the end of Austria's 28-year absence from the World Cup [1, 2]. Captain David Alaba returned to the starting lineup in defence after missing the final two World Cup qualifiers [1, 2]. Austria's full lineup included goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, defenders Philipp Lienhart, Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Posch, midfielders Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Konrad Laimer, and forwards Marcel Sabitzer, Romano Schmid, and Sasa Kalajdzic [1, 2].
Jordan fielded striker Ali Olwan and winger Mousa Al-Tamari in attack but missed key forward Yazan Al-Naimat, who scored eight goals in qualification but was ruled out due to a knee injury [1, 2]. Jordan’s lineup featured Yazeed Abu Laila, Abdullah Nasib, Yazan Al-Arab, Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Mousa Al-Tamari, Ali Olwan, Ehsan Haddad, Muhannad Abu Taha, and Ouda Al-Fakhouri [1, 2].
The starting lineup decisions reflected a tactical choice by Austria for their return to the tournament. The team will next focus on their subsequent Group J fixtures following the June 16 opener against Jordan [1, 2].