Key events
9 mins: Austria with another long throw, which Alaba – stationed on the six-yard line – almost tries to bicycle after it’s headed poorly, but he pulls out as an Algerian head comes crashing through to conk it away.
8 mins: Algeria are struggling to progress the ball down their flanks, with Austria crowding them out through a high press. Rangnick’s side are doing well to pounce on those errors, with Schlager rocketing the first shot of the game over the crossbar from quite a way out.
6 mins: Austria are looking very organised off the ball, immediately snapping back into two deep banks and double-teaming any Algerian player who has the ball. Most of the action has happened between the two boxes so far, with each team taking turns to move the ball around a bit, before pouncing on each other the closer they get to the penalty area.
4 mins: Austria’s David Alaba trots up to the left wing to launch a long throw into Algeria’s penalty area. There’s a bit of a scuffle near the front post, but the ball bounces harmlessly out for a goal kick.
3 mins: Both sides have had some moments on the ball, with Algeria finding a bit of space down the left and across the top of Austria’s box before being eased away by Algeria’s crowded lines. Certainly neither team is going for it at the moment.
1 min: The Algerian crowd has already begun to whistle when the ball is in Austria’s possession, while the Austrian crowd has started to “olay!” when it’s passed between Algeria’s centre-backs.
Kick-off!
Tooooot. We’re on.
Sam Lewis
Martin has written in with what I think are very reasonable and practical solutions to the questions raised by today’s match.
“It’s clear that there’s an advantage for the teams playing later in the third round, knowing what result they need to aim for to secure a third-place spot.
“To eliminate that advantage, Fifa should ensure all third round games for all groups kick off simultaneously. 24 games all at once!
“Obviously fans might complain about not being able to follow all the games but that can be solved by having six hydration breaks each half, allowing fans to see highlights from some of the other games.
“Not having enough stadiums is resolvable by having two games take place on the same pitch at the same time. Pretty sure VAR can help keep track of whose ball is whose.”
Sam Lewis
While we wait for kick-off, what’s your tip for today, team?
How strongly does the four-decade grudge between these two nations course through the current players’ veins? Will they go all-out against one another to avenge their ancestors?
Or will we see an incredibly ironic draw gently played out, allowing both teams to progress at the expense of the luckless Iran?
Send me an email with your thoughts, feelings, premonitions, visions, hunches, hopes, and/or dreams.
The teams are emerging from the tunnel and snaking around the centre-circle to prepare for the anthems.
Algeria are wearing their all-white kits today, while Austria are in their traditional red jersey with black shorts and socks.
Sam Lewis
If you’d like to keep up with today’s simultaneous Group J game between Argentina (already qualified in top spot) and Jordan (already eliminated), you can follow Rob Smyth’s live-blog below.
Sam Lewis
The scenes from DR Congo’s victory over Uzbekistan were gorgeous. Players leaping around, hugging, crying, flying their nation’s flags.
They’re through to the round of 32 for the very first time after one of the longest qualification campaigns for this World Cup. Their reward? England on Wednesday. Thoughts and prayers.
Elsewhere, Colombia’s terrific group stage will see them face Ghana in the next phase, while Portugal are now set for a delicious knock-out game against Croatia.
Sam Lewis
What about Algeria? Well…
While Austria appears to have a solidity and certainty to their style, the opposite appears to be true of Algeria.
Their yo-yo performances during their two group matches so far has left us wondering exactly what version of Algeria we’ll see today. Even their expert writer Maher Mezahi couldn’t really predict which team would show up at the World Cup – which could be a blessing or a curse for Austria today.
double quotation mark Algeria are one of this World Cup’s great unknowns. On paper, this team has an impressive recent record: a friendly victory over the Netherlands made it 21 wins, four draws and three defeats from 28 matches under Vladimir Petkovic, with 67 goals scored. The problem is that it has been achieved against generally poor-quality opposition. Algeria’s qualifying campaign was a breeze, with Guinea and Mozambique – both considered Pot C sides on the continent – being their sternest tests.The most reliable gauge of their true level was the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they produced some of the tournament’s most compelling football. The Fennecs toyed with various formations, playing a classic flat four, reinforcing defence with five and even using a 4-3-3 with two full-backs, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Jaouen Hadjam, on the left flank. They pressed intensely, dominated possession, patiently built from goal kicks, and fluidly progressed the ball through defensive lines.
Then came Nigeria in the quarter-finals and everything unravelled. Petkovic’s starting lineup was off, his adjustments arrived far too late and inconsistent officiating added another layer of misfortune to an evening where nearly every Algerian player underperformed. The lingering question is whether that collapse was an outlier or a warning sign of how this side responds when the stakes are higher against top opposition. That we don’t have an answer is the main reason why Algeria arrive at the World Cup as an unproven commodity.
Sam Lewis
What kind of football might we see from Austria today, then?
If you, like me, have been so overwhelmed with World Cup games that you haven’t been able to consume them all and still have time for basic life tasks, you may be coming into this match wondering exactly what kind of football we’re expecting to see from Austria.
Luckily, the Guardian put together team guides for every nation, so I’ll allow Andreas Hagenauer to explain for us all:
double quotation mark Austria want to stress opponents, force the pace of the game, win the ball back quickly and turn mistakes into chances. A few years ago that felt fresh and modern; now, high pressing and aggressive counterpressing are hardly revolutionary, and if the structure slips even slightly, the approach can expose a team badly. Austria, however, almost never lose that balance. They have absorbed Rangnick’s ideas to the point of reflex.“We have a very ball-oriented approach,” Rangnick said. “Where the ball is, we create overloads. We sprint at the opponent, close off his passing lanes and force errors and turnovers. And when we have the ball, backward or sideways passes are not our preferred option. We want to play forward.”
Austria know exactly what they are. More importantly, the players know each other very well. This is a side built less on stardom than on familiarity, trust and collective movement. The players have been together for years, the hierarchy is flat, and they often describe the squad as a family. In football that word is thrown around lightly but, with Austria, it rings true.
Sounds fun. I’m in.
The results from Group K are now confirmed.
DR Congo have defeated Uzbekistan 3-1, rocketing up into the top 8 of the best third-placed teams. This result means South Korea are eliminated from the round of 32.
Colombia, who had a late potential winner chalked off for offside, qualify for the knock-outs in first position after finishing 0-0 with Portugal.
Sam Lewis
Today’s match takes place at Kansas City Stadium, home to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL.
A fun trid Raiders, the crowd at the stadium set a Guinness World Record for the loudest recorded noise at 137.5 decibels.
That record was quickly broken a few months later in Seattle, but Kansas fans weren’t having it, so they shouted even louder in September of 2014 in a Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots to reclaim the record at 142.2 decibels.
Not sure the local Algerian or Austrian crowd will quite match that, but they could get close.
Sam Lewis
Check out today’s earlier results
In Group L, England defeated Panama 2-0 while Croatia edged past Ghana 2-1.
And the final matches of Group K are currently underway.
Colombia are currently 0-0 with Portugal in the wrestle for top spot, while DR Congo have just taken a 2-1 lead against Uzbekistan to determine who could squeeze through in third.
Follow all the action in our liveblogs below.
Austria XI
Sam Lewis
Austria makes three changes following their loss to Argentina, the biggest of which is veteran striker Marko Arnautovic starting ahead of Michael Gregoritsch.
Philipp Lienharttakes the place of Kevin Danso at centre-back, while Phillipp Mwene slots into left-back to release Konrad Laimer back into midfield, with Paul Wanner dropping to the bench.
Austria (4-2-3-1): 1 Schlager; 16 Mwene, 8 Alaba, 15 Lienhart, 5 Posch; 20 Laimer, 6 Seiwald; 9 Sabitzer, 4 Schlager, 18 Schmid; 7 Arnautovic.
Algeria XI
Sam Lewis
Four changes for Algeria after their win over Jordan.
Goalkeeper Oussama Benbot takes the place of Luca Zidane, while left-back Yaouen Hadjam replaces Rayan Ait-Nouri. Nabil Bentaleb comes into midfield alongside Houssem Aouar, both of whom take the place of Ramiz Zerrouki and Hicham Boudaoui.
Algeria XI (4-3-3): 16 Benbot; 17 Belghali, 2 Mandi, 21 Bensebaini, 13 Hadjam; 19 Bentaleb, 8 Aouar, 22 Maza; 7 Mahrez, 10 Chaibi; 9 Gouiri.
Sam Lewis
So what can we expect from today’s match between Algeria and Austria?
Austria’s opening 3-1 win over Jordan was their first World Cup victory since 1990, with 37-year-old Marko Arnautovic coming off the bench to turn the tide for Ralf Rangnick’s side. The polarising striker had a goal disallowed in the 69th minute before forcing an own goal and scoring a penalty in a dominant second half.
But that jubilant start came to a screeching halt after Austria were faced with the might and magic of Lionel Messi, whose brace lifted Argentina to a 2-0 victory in their second group match.
Austria played well in that game, filled with fight and exhaustive gegenpressing,and did well to force Argentina to find solutions to their crisp passing and lingering transitional dangers. Unfortunately, there is only so much a team can do when they come up against the best player in the world.
Austria, then, will be feeling confident coming into this final outing against Algeria. They’ve been competitive so far, though there are some questions over where their goals will come from as they haven’t looked super convincing in the final third.
Their opponents, meanwhile, have similar Messi-related traumas after Argentina thumped them 3-0 on the opening day. That was Messi’s hat-trick day, sliding three easy goals past a lacklustre Algeria, which started with a chalked-off tap-in just five minutes after kick-off.
Algeria’s back-line was pulled apart with ease, and while they had some organised and high-energy moments going forward, they couldn’t convert the few chances they created.
Their second match against Jordan, though, reminded fans of the kind of football that earned them a reputation during qualifying. Their 2-1 win over the tournament debutants thanks in part to a stand-out performance from veteran winger Riyad Mahrez, who was brought back into the starting side after being bizarrely rested against Argentina.
Austria may be slight favourites coming into today’s game based on the past two games’ worth of form, but given the long history between these two teams, anything is possible.
Sam Lewis
Here are the confirmed last-32 matches so far.Anyone else absolutely frothing for Netherlands v Morocco and Brazil v Japan?
-
Germany v Paraguay
-
France v Sweden
-
South Africa v Canada
-
Netherlands v Morocco
-
Croatia v Group K runner-up
-
Spain v Group J runner-up
-
USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina
-
Belgium v Group A/I/J 3rd
-
Brazil v Japan
-
Cote d’Ivoire v Norway
-
Mexico v Ecuador
-
England v Group I/K 3rd
-
Argentina v Cape Verde
-
Australia v Egypt
-
Switzerland v Group G/J 3rd
-
Ghana v Group K winner
Peter sharing what many may be thinking about today’s match: “The weight of history between these two sides points to only one collusion – I mean conclusion. Win or go home. [Checks notes. Scratches head.] I mean win or go on to the next round, maybe.”
Sam Lewis
We’ve already seen some extraordinary results on the final match day, giving a delightful shape and some tasty match-ups to the round of 32.
South Africa shocked South Korea 1-0 to finish second in Group A on four points and will face Canada in Los Angeles.
Ecuador’s brilliant 2-1 win over Germany secured their spot as Group E’s third-placed team, with their next round opponent still to be decided.
Japan’s surprising 1-1 draw with Sweden saw them top their group, though it has put them on a collision-course with Brazil in the first knock-out stage.
Paraguay’s gritty 1-0 win over Turkey followed by their 0-0 draw against Australia helped them qualify in third place in Group D, where they’ll now face Germany in Foxborough in two days’ time.
But there was perhaps no better final-day story than Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia yesterday. Having bagged three points from three impressive draws in the group stage, the World Cup’s smallest nation finished second in their group after Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0, qualifying them for the round of 32 on their tournament debut.
Unfortunately they’ll be meeting Argentina in Miami on July 3, though I’m sure they’ll just be happy to be there no matter the result.
Sam Lewis
How does Group J look going into this final match day?
Unsurprisingly, World Cup holders Argentina enter their last game in first spot with two wins from their opening two games (6 points).
Behind them is Austria (3 points), who sit ahead of Algeria (3 points) only on a goal difference of 2. Jordan, meanwhile, have already been eliminated after losing both of their opening matches (0 points).
As things stand, a draw between Algeria and Austria will see both teams through to the round of 32. The stakes are highest for Algeria, who currently sit just one spot outside the eight best third-placed teams. One more point will shoot them up into the top six of those teams.
If Algeria defeat Austria, however, the latter will suddenly find themselves in that third-placed race where, depending on how many goals they lose by, they can either scrape through or get knocked out.
But there is another question: will either of these teams actually wantto finish second? While a third-placed finish could result in a round of 32 match against a patchy Belgium or Switzerland, the runner-up from Group J will have to play Spain in the next stage.
Might Austria try to wriggle out of second spot by deliberately losing to Algeria in order to avoid European Championship holders? Will Algeria grit their teeth and grind out a draw to force Austria into Spain’s path? Or will the history between them eclipse all of that and result in one of the most memorable matches of this World Cup?
Preamble
Sam Lewis
Hello and welcome to the last game of an action-packed final day of the World Cup group stage, which sees Algeria take on Austria. Kick-off for today’s match at Kansas City Stadium will be 9:00pm local time (10pm EDT/3am BST/12pm AEST).
Ever since the World Cup draw was conducted last December, fans of niche football history circled today’s clash between Algeria and Austria.
Why? Because 44 years ago, a World Cup game between these two nations resulted in a rule that would fundamentally shape the future of the sport, including one that affects this very match.
In 1982, at the World Cup in Spain, Algeria won their opening game against West Germany 2-1. They lost the next game to Austria, but beat Chile in their final group clash.
Crucially, that game was played before West Germany played Austria, which gave both European nations an information advantage: they knew that West Germany needed to win by one or two goals in order for both of them to progress.
And so, it came to pass. West Germany scored in the 10th minute, and for the 80+ minutes that followed, both teams simply passed the ball around without really trying to do anything further. As Maher Mezahi writes in this excellent re-telling of that fateful game:
double quotation mark The pretense of honest competition dissolved almost entirely. At one point, Uli Stielike stopped the ball and surveyed the pitch five times before settling on a five-yard pass. Paul Breitner spent 20 unhurried seconds walking laterally with the ball in his own half. The Austria midfielder Reinhold Hintermaier feigned ambition and his theatrical effort sailed 20 yards over, deceiving no one.
The score stood, West Germany and Austria went through to the next round, and Algeria was knocked out.
This game is now famously known as the “Disgrace of Gijon”, and while Fifa didn’t listen to Algeria’s formal complaints at the time, they did implement a new rule requiring that final group-stage matches be played simultaneously to avoid the information advantage that West Germany and Austria benefited from.
Hence why today’s match kicks off at the same time as Group J’s other clash between Jordan and Argentina.
It’s also given some additional intergenerational spice to a game between two nations vying for knock-out football once again. In an incredible coincidence, a draw today could see both teams go through – but whether they’ll want that is a different question entirely.
While we wait for the team sheets, give Mezahi’s yarn a read. It sets the historical scene perfectly for what could be a truly memorable 90 minutes of football.
