Shafaq News

Austria opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Jordan on Wednesday, overcoming a second-half equalizer before scoring twice in the final 15 minutes to take three points in Group J.

The result moved Austria level with Argentina at the top of the group after Lionel Messi's hat-trick led the defending champions past Algeria 3-0 earlier in the day.

At San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, in front of more than 65,000 spectators, 22nd-ranked Austria faced 64th-ranked Jordan, which was making its World Cup debut.

Austria controlled much of the early possession, but Jordan remained dangerous on the counterattack through Mousa Al-Tamari and Ali Olwan.

The Austrians broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. Romano Schmid collected possession outside the penalty area and struck a low effort past Yazeed Abu Laila to give Austria a 1-0 lead after sustained pressure. Austria continued to dictate play and finished the first half with the better chances, although Jordan remained threatening on the break.

Jordan found its reward five minutes into the second half when a quick counterattack ended with Noor Al-Rawabdeh releasing Olwan, who drove into the area and finished beyond Alexander Schlager to score Jordan's first-ever World Cup goal.

The equalizer shifted momentum, and Jordan enjoyed its strongest spell of the match, forcing Austria to defend deeper than it had during the opening half.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick responded with a series of substitutions, including the introduction of veteran striker Marko Arnautovic, and the changes helped restore control.

The decisive moment came in the 76th minute. A dangerous Austrian cross into the penalty area was turned into the net by Jordan defender Yazan Al-Arab under pressure, giving Austria a 2-1 lead. Jordan pushed forward in search of another equalizer, but Austria added a third goal deep into stoppage time.

After a VAR review awarded a penalty for handball, Arnautovic converted from the spot in the 102nd minute to seal a 3-1 victory.

The scoreline was harsher than Jordan's performance suggested. The tournament newcomers remained competitive for long stretches and created several dangerous moments through Olwan and Al-Tamari, particularly during the early stages of the second half. Austria, however, made better use of its experience and squad depth, recovering after Jordan's equalizer and finishing strongly to secure the win.

The victory gives Austria an early advantage before a key Group J meeting with Argentina, while Jordan heads into its second match against Algeria needing a result to strengthen its hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Under the expanded 48-team format, third-placed teams can still qualify for the round of 32, leaving Group J wide open after the opening round of matches.