Austria are back at the World Cup after a 28-year absence, and they will be eager to make up for lost time. The return has been a long time coming, but Austrian football has made significant strides in recent years, qualifying for each of the last three European Championships. Their road to the 2026 tournament was equally convincing, as they topped their UEFA qualifying group to secure direct passage.
Austria are sticking with the core group that has driven their recent success. Headlining the squad is left-back David Alaba. Although injuries have been a recurring issue, they have not kept him out of contention for a World Cup call-up. Veteran forward Marko Arnautović, one of Austria's most productive players throughout qualifying, also features prominently. Versatile defender Konrad Laimer and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer round out the group of established names.
Dortmund teammate Carney Chukwuemeka is another notable inclusion, having completed his nationality switch earlier this year. Young midfielder Paul Wanner, who previously represented Germany at youth level, also opted to commit to Austria in recent months and makes the squad.
Austria have been placed in Group J and will open their campaign against Jordan on June 16th at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Six days later, they will take on reigning champions Argentina at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. They close out the group stage against Algeria on June 27th at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Austria 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg), Florian Wiegele (Viktoria Plzen), Patrick Pentz (Brondby)
Defenders: David Affengruber (Elche), Kevin Danso (Tottenham Hotspur), Stefan Posch (Como), David Alaba (Real Madrid), Philipp Lienhart (Freiburg), Phillipp Mwene (Mainz), Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen), Michael Svoboda (Venezia)
Midfielders: Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig), Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig), Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Florian Grillitsch (Braga), Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund), Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen), Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim), Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg), Paul Wanner (PSV), Alessandro Schopf (Wolfsberger)
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic (Red Star Belgrade), Michael Gregoritsch (Brondby), Sasa Kalajdzic (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
