Austria celebrated their long-awaited return to ​the World Cup with a 3-1 win over determined debutants Jordan on Tuesday, with substitute Marko Arnautovic the difference in a ‌gritty, end-to-end Group J match.

In a tense game on a brisk night in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austria went ahead with a 21st-minute thunderbolt from Romano Schmid before Jordan fought back after the break through Ali Olwan’s exquisite strike in off the post.

The catalyst for the Austrian victory was the halftime introduction of 37-year-old Arnautovic, who pressured ​defender Yazan Al Arab into a 76th-minute own goal before converting a perfect penalty deep into stoppage time.

The 3-1 scoreline perhaps flattered ​Austria, who were caught off guard by the pace of Jordan’s counterattacks as they looked to make their mark in their first-ever appearance at ⁠the showpiece event.

The victory puts Austria second in Group J behind defending champions Argentina, who beat Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City earlier on Tuesday.

Austria ​midfielder Konrad Laimer said he was relieved to get the win after a tough opening encounter.

“We knew that this was going to be a ​difficult match,” he said.

“What’s important is the mentality of the entire team. We never gave up, we kept going until the end and finally we came out on top.”

28-YEAR WORLD CUP ABSENCE

Jordan defended resolutely and were fierce on the break, with the pace of forwards Olwan and Mousa Al-Tamari a constant threat to ​Austria, who were playing at their first World Cup in 28 years.

The match got off to a frenetic start, with Jordan causing a ​scare two minutes in with a counter-attack that led to captain Ehsan Haddad blasting low into the side netting.

Austria soon got into their stride, with ‌Marcel Sabitzer ⁠the central figure in a succession of attacks, and they broke the deadlock on 21 minutes when Schmid found the top corner from outside the box.

Jordan pressed hard and found the leveller five minutes after halftime when Olwan powered down the left before firing a sumptuous shot in off the far post, sparking jubilation among their supporters in the stands.

Austria thought they were back in front when Arnautovic prodded home a loose ball ​from close range, but the goal ​was ruled out due to ⁠a handball by Stefan Posch following a VAR review.

They got the decisive goal when Sabitzer’s corner went in off Al Arab, then put the game beyond Jordan through Arnautovic’s penalty 12 minutes into stoppage time.

“We ​didn’t deserve to lose in our first-ever World Cup appearance – a historic participation for us,” Jordan’s Olwan ​said.

“We still have ⁠two matches ahead, and based on what I saw from our team today, we are capable of qualifying.”

Austria next face defending champions Argentina while Jordan take on Algeria on June 22.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised Jordan for “an amazing job” and said results so far in this World Cup had shown how ⁠difficult it ​was for European teams to beat lower-ranked sides.

“They made it very difficult for us. ​I think that in the second half, this is where we got into the game,” he said.

“At the end of the day, I think that we deserved to ​win but it was very, very difficult.”

-Reuters

 

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER

Lionel Messi added yet another remarkable chapter to his glittering career on Tuesday (Wednesday in Africa and Europe) scoring the first World Cup hat-trick of his career as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their opening Group J match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The night was already destined to be special for the Argentine captain as he made his 200th international appearance, becoming only the second male footballer to reach the milestone after Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi, however, ensured the occasion would be remembered for much more than the landmark cap.

At 38 years old, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner produced a vintage performance, netting all three goals to register his maiden World Cup hat-trick and further cement his place among football’s immortals.

The feat carried multiple layers of history.

Messi became the oldest goalscorer in Argentina’s history at a World Cup, surpassing the previous mark while also extending a curious personal connection with Algeria.

The North Africans were the opponents against whom he scored his first international goal for Argentina in a friendly in 2007. Then aged just 19, Messi became Argentina’s youngest goalscorer when he found the net in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Algeria.

Nineteen years later, and on the same opposition, he rewrote the record books once again.

His treble against Algeria also expanded an exclusive World Cup record. Messi has now scored against 10 different nations at the global finals, adding Algeria to a list that already included Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands and France.

The hat-trick elevated Messi into another select club in World Cup history.

Before Tuesday’s match, 54 hat-tricks had been recorded in World Cup history by 50 different players. Messi’s achievement raised those figures to 55 hat-tricks scored by 51 players.

Only four players have previously managed to score two World Cup hat-tricks: Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, France’s Just Fontaine, West Germany’s Gerd Müller and Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta, who remains the only player to have recorded hat-tricks in two different World Cup tournaments.

World Cup hat-tricks remain among the rarest feats in football. The first was scored by American Bert Patenaude against Paraguay at the inaugural tournament in 1930. Only two players have managed the feat in a World Cup final — England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 and France’s Kylian Mbappé in 2022.

Messi’s masterclass ensured his name is now firmly etched into that distinguished list.

For Argentina, the victory provided a perfect start to their World Cup campaign. For Messi, it was another night when records tumbled, history beckoned, and football’s enduring superstar once again demonstrated why he remains one of the game’s greatest-ever players.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER

England and Croatia will renew a rivalry forged on football’s biggest stage when the two nations meet in a heavyweight Group L clash at the FIFA World Cup.

The encounter pits together one of the tournament’s traditional powers against one of its most consistent performers in recent editions. England, champions in 1966 and appearing in their 17th World Cup, enter the tournament among the favourites after a strong qualifying campaign.

Croatia, however, have developed a reputation for thriving under pressure at major tournaments. Remarkably, their only defeats in their last 14 World Cup matches have come against eventual champions France in 2018 and Argentina in 2022.

The fixture inevitably recalls Croatia’s dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over England in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, a result that propelled the Balkan nation to its first final.

With both teams expected to challenge for top spot in Group L, the outcome could have a significant bearing on the knockout-round path awaiting the winner.

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