Argentina’s record against next World Cup 2026 opponent Austria

Argentina will take on Austria next Monday at 2pm Buenos Aires time in their second Group J match of the 2026 World Cup.

A win would secure Argentina’s place in the second-round and – after the side’s convincing win over Algeria – the Albiceleste aiming for a victory that would guarantee them a place in the last 32.

The head-to-head record between the two national teams consists of just two previous meetings, both of which took place a decade apart.

The first encounter was played on May 21, 1980 at Vienna’s Prater Stadium and featured a remarkable performance from late legendary star Diego Armando Maradona.

'La Pelusa,' who had already established himself in the senior national team following Argentina’s triumph at the FIFA World Youth Championship the previous year, scored a hat-trick in the match against Austria, while the other two goals in the reigning world champions’ 5–1 victory came from Santiago Santamaría and Leopoldo Jacinto Luque.

Notably, was the only match in which Maradona scored three goals while wearing the famous Albiceleste shirt.

Ten years on, on May 3, 1990, Argentina faced Austria once again, this time in a friendly match as part of their preparations for the World Cup in Italy later that year.

The match was played at the Ernst Happel Stadium, also in Vienna, with Argentina once again arriving as the reigning world champions.

On this occasion, Carlos Salvador Bilardo’s side had to settle for a 1–1 draw.

Austria took the lead in the third minute of the first half through Manfred Zsak, while Argentina equalised on the half-hour mark thanks to Jorge Burruchaga.

This Monday’s match will be the third time the sides play each other and the first in an official FIFA competition.

Both teams come into the match as group leaders following comfortable victories, making this encounter potentially decisive in determining who finishes top of Group J.

Austria, however, were given a scare by World Cup debutants Jordan last Tuesday before securing a 3-1 win rounded off by a penalty in added time from veteran forward Marko Arnautovic.

The Austrians went ahead at Levi's Stadium near San Francisco when Romano Schmid produced a brilliant opening goal, smashing in a shot from distance.

Jordan never stopped chasing the game and Ali Olwan's glancing header nearly put them level before he scored the first World Cup goal in his country's history – and it was worth the wait.

He cut in and directed a superb right-footed shot Austria goalkeeper past Alexander Schlager and off the post.

But Austria regained the lead in the 76th minute thanks to an own goal from Yazan al-Arab before 37-year-old former West Ham man Arnautovic added a stoppage-time penalty to make the game safe.

– TIMES/AFP/NA

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