Kansas City, June 27 (IANS) Algeria and Austria head into their final Group J fixture at Kansas City Stadium on Sunday knowing that avoiding defeat could be enough to extend their World Cup campaigns.
Both sides recovered from opening losses to Argentina by defeating Jordan, leaving them level on three points. Austria’s superior goal difference puts Ralf Rangnick’s men in the stronger position, with a draw likely securing second place behind the defending champions. Algeria, meanwhile, would be well placed to advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams if they earn a point.
The Fennecs showed resilience in their comeback victory over Jordan after falling behind early, while Austria responded to their defeat against Argentina with a composed display to keep qualification in their own hands.
Adding another layer of intrigue is the history between the nations. Their infamous meeting at the 1982 World Cup remains one of football’s most controversial chapters, when the result between Austria and West Germany eliminated Algeria and prompted FIFA to introduce simultaneous kick-offs for final group-stage matches.
More than four decades later, Algeria have an opportunity to write a very different story.
Although the standings suggest a draw would suit both teams, neither side can afford to rely on mathematics alone. Austria possess the slight advantage, but Algeria’s determination and growing confidence make them capable of upsetting the odds in what promises to be a tense, closely contested encounter with a place in the Round of 32 at stake.
How to watch Algeria vs Austria live in India:
Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 football matches will be available on the Zee5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.
Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.
Key details:
Date and kick-off time: Sunday, June 28, 07:30 AM (IST)
Venue: Kansas City Stadium, Missouri, United States
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev
Squads:
Algeria –
Goalkeepers: Oussama Benbot, Melvin Mastil, Luca Zidane
Defenders: Achref Abada, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Zineddine Belaïd, Rafik Belghali, Ramy Bensebaini, Samir Chergui, Jaouen Hadjam, Aissa Mandi, Mohamed Tougai
Midfielders: Houssem Aouar, Nabil Bentaleb, Hicham Boudaoui, Fares Chaibi, Ibrahim Maza, Yacine Titraoui, Ramiz Zerrouki
Forwards: Mohamed Amoura, Nadhir Benbouali, Adil Boulbina, Fares Ghedjemis, Amine Gouiri, Riyad Mahrez, Anis Hadj Moussa
Austria-
Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager, Florian Wiegele
Defenders: David Affengruber, David Alaba, Kevin Danso, Marco Friedl, Philipp Lienhart, Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Posch, Alexander Prass, Michael Svoboda
Midfielders: Christoph Baumgartner, Carney Chukwuemeka, Florian Grillitsch, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Romano Schmid, Alessandro Schöpf, Paul Wanner, Patrick Wimmer
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic
–IANS
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