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Schmid scores as Austria win World Cup opener
WORLD CUP ROUND-UP: AUSTRIA BEAT JORDAN 3-1
17/06/26 | 3 Min
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Austria got their 2026 World Cup campaign in Canada, Mexico and the USA underway with a 3-1 win over Jordan. Werder midfielder Romano Schmid marked his World Cup debut with the opening goal for Austria.
Schmid started Austria’s first World Cup match since 1998, and his big moment arrived with 21 minutes played. Werder’s skilful playmaker curled the ball into the top corner from around 25 yards to put his side ahead. The many Austrian fans inside Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco erupted, while the celebrations on the pitch carried an emotional note too. After scoring, Schmid ran over to the bench to Christoph Baumgartner, who was injured shortly before the start of the tournament. “I’d already decided before the game that, if I scored, I’d run over to Baumi. We’ve been through so much together. We played at the U17 EURO and we’ve been competing with each other since we were young. It could have been him standing in my place, so I wanted to celebrate with him. That goal was for him and for me,” Romano Schmid said after the game.
Schmid’s goal made him Austria’s first World Cup goalscorer since Andreas Herzog. The former Werder player had been the last man to score for Austria at the tournament, converting a penalty in their final group game against Italy at the 1998 World Cup. Austria lost that match 2-1.
This time, despite Jordan briefly drawing level through Ali Olwan (50’), Austria came out on top. Marko Arnautovic had the ball in the net from a corner in the 67th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for handball after a VAR review. Just under 10 minutes later, the former Werder forward and Austria’s all-time leading goalscorer was involved again, forcing the decisive own goal from Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab following another corner (76’). Arnautovic then finally got on the scoresheet himself in stoppage time: after another VAR review for handball, Austria were awarded a penalty, which their number seven confidently converted (90’+12).
Schmid was still on the pitch for Austria’s second goal, but watched the third and the final whistle from the bench after being substituted in the 83rd minute. Werder captain Marco Friedl was an unused substitute as Austria recorded their first win at a World Cup since 1990, when they beat the USA 2-1.
Austria are next in action on Monday, 22nd June, when Schmid, Friedl and their teammates face world champions Argentina (19:00 CEST). Their final Group J fixture against Algeria will take place on Sunday, 28th June at 04:00 CEST.
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