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Austria kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a big clash against Jordan in Group J at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium this Wednesday.
Burschen make their return to the World Cup for the first time since the 1998 edition of the tournament, when they bowed out in the group stage.
Jordan, on the other hand, are set to make their World Cup debut, with the Chivalrous Ones booking their ticket to North America following an impressive qualifying campaign.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions, as well as our best World Cup betting offers.
Austria vs. Jordan key stats
- Austria have never recorded a goalless draw at the World Cup.
- Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami was given the Jordanian citizenship after leading the nation to the tournament.
- Austria have not tasted a single match victory at a World Cup tournament since 1990.
Austria vs. Jordan preview: Chance to make a solid start
Austria vs Jordan — Squad Comparison
| Austria | vs | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | FIFA Rankings | 63 |
| Marko Arnautović – 133 | Most Caps | Musa Al-Taamari – 92 |
| Marko Arnautović – 47 | Most Goals | Ali Olwan – 29 |
| 1003 | Total Caps | 1063 |
| 149 | Total Goals | 92 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Austria cruised through World Cup qualifying, winning six of their matches, drawing one and losing just once as they finished top of Group H.
A thrilling 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina in their final qualifier sealed top spot, with Michael Gregoritsch scoring a dramatic 77th-minute equaliser.
Ralf Rangnick's side have carried that momentum into the tournament, beating Ghana 5-1, South Korea 1-0 and Tunisia 1-0 in warm-up friendlies to extend their unbeaten run to five matches.
Austria are now setting their sights on all three points in their opener, especially with tougher tests to come against Argentina and Algeria – all this as they chase a first World Cup knockout appearance since 1954.
In a blow for the Austrians, Christoph Baumgartner misses the tournament through injury, with Dejan Ljubicic called up in his place, while Patrick Wimmer, Florian Grillitsch and David Alaba remain fitness concerns.
In Baumgartner's absence, Romano Schmid, Marcel Sabitzer, Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautovic are set to lead the attack.
Jordan, on the other hand, arrive at the World Cup as massive underdogs in Group J.
They secured their place in the finals by finishing second in their AFC qualifying group with 16 points from 10 matches, edging out Iraq.
This summer’s event marks Jordan's first-ever World Cup appearance and follows an impressive run to the Arab Cup final, where they suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 extra-time defeat to Morocco.
That loss has been followed by a difficult spell, with Jamal Sellami's side drawing two and losing two of their four pre-tournament friendlies.
Jordan therefore head into the competition on a five-match winless run and face a major challenge against one of the group's favourites.
Ibrahim Sabra withdrew from the squad and was replaced by Mohammad Taha, while leading scorer Yazan Al Naimat, who netted eight times in qualifying, misses out through injury.
Without Al Naimat, Mousa Tamari, Ali Olwan and Odeh Fakhoury are expected to form the front three in Sellami's preferred 3-4-3 formation.
Austria vs. Jordan form guide & betting tips
| Austria | vs | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
WDWWW |
Form | LDDLL |
| 10 | Goals For | 7 |
| 1 | Goals Against | 13 |
N/A |
2026 World Cup | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Austria 2-0 Jordan
With Argentina expected to win Group J, attention turns to who can take second spot and join the defending champions in the knockout phase of the competition.
Austria will fancy their chances against Jordan, though there is nothing exciting about their outright odds. Instead, backing Rangnick’s men with a -1 handicap is the smarter play at around 1/2.
Four of Austria’s previous five wins have come to nil, and we are backing that to continue at around the 7/10 mark.
Lastly, if you want to find serious value, you can back Austria to win the match 2-0 in the correct score market. This bet is priced at tasty 11/2 odds.
> Austria -1 handicap market at 1/2 | Likelihood: Probable
> Austria to win to nil at 7/10 | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score Austria 2-0 Jordan at 11/2 | Likelihood: Outsider