Spain and Austria meet in one of the most intriguing Round of 32 matches at the 2026 World Cup, with a place in the last 16 on the line. It’s going to be a great game in Los Angeles. The man in charge of officiating Spain vs. Austria will be Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg.
La Roja entered the tournament as one of the favorites to lift the trophy, but the group stage left plenty of questions unanswered. Although Spain finished first in Group H, the team was far from convincing against Cape Verde and Uruguay despite producing a dominant victory over Saudi Arabia. Injuries have also become a growing concern, with Nico Williams on the bench and Yeremy Pino also on the bench while Lamine Yamal starts despite not being at full fitness.
Meanwhile, Austria quietly emerged as one of the tournament’s dark horses. The Austrians finished second in Group J, which also featured Argentina, Algeria, and Jordan, and have shown enough quality to believe they can challenge one of Europe’s traditional powers. Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager hopes to play a key role today.
What happens if Spain win vs Austria today?
If Spain win against Austria, they will advance to the Round of 16. Their next opponent would be the winner of Portugal vs Croatia, setting up a blockbuster showdown featuring Lamine Yamal against either Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric.
It would also represent Spain’s first knockout-stage victory at a FIFA World Cup since winning the tournament in 2010. Austria would be eliminated from the competition with a loss today.
What happens if Spain and Austria tie in 2026 World Cup?
If Spain and Austria tie after 90 minutes, the game will go to 30 minutes of extra time. Should the score remain tied after extra time, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout. That scenario may worry Spanish fans. Spain’s last two World Cup eliminations both came on penalties, against Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
What happens if Spain lose today vs Austria?
If Spain lose against Austria, they will be officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in one of the biggest surprises of the knockout stage. Such a defeat would deepen questions surrounding the European champions and coach Luis de la Fuente.
For Austria, a victory would secure a place in the Round of 16, where they would face either Portugal or Croatia on July 6 at Dallas Stadium. It’s important to remember that their best performance in tournament’s history was a third-place finish in 1954.
