BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

will end a 28-year absence from the FIFA World Cup when they face tournament debutants Jordan in a Group J clash at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, with both nations aiming to make a strong start to their campaigns.

For Austria, the match marks a return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since France 1998 and the beginning of their eighth World Cup appearance overall. Jordan, meanwhile, will make history by playing their first-ever match at the global showpiece after a remarkable rise in Asian football over the past two years.

The encounter will also be a landmark occasion for Austria, who will face an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) representative at the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Austria boast a proud World Cup tradition dating back to the early years of the tournament. They reached the semi-finals in 1934 and enjoyed their finest campaign in 1954 when they secured third place.

That 1954 tournament also produced one of the most memorable matches in World Cup history. Austria recovered from a 3-0 deficit to defeat hosts Switzerland 7-5 in the quarter-finals, a contest that remains the highest-scoring match ever played at the FIFA World Cup.

Despite their rich history, Austria have struggled to make a significant impact at recent tournaments. They have advanced beyond the first stage only once since 1954, reaching the second group phase at the 1982 World Cup.

Coach Ralf Rangnick will be hoping to reverse that trend after guiding the Austrians back to the finals. However, recent World Cup statistics suggest there is work to do, with Austria having won only one of their last nine matches at the tournament while recording three draws and five defeats.

One intriguing statistic is that none of Austria’s previous 29 World Cup matches has ever ended goalless, highlighting a tradition of open and entertaining football whenever they appear on the global stage.

History also favours Austria in opening matches. They have lost only two of their seven previous World Cup curtain-raisers, winning four and drawing one.

Jordan, however, arrive in North America full of confidence after a historic qualification campaign.

Al Nashama secured their place at the World Cup on June 5, 2025, when a convincing 3-0 victory over Oman, combined with Iraq’s defeat to South Korea later that day, guaranteed them automatic qualification with a match to spare.

The Jordanians lost only three of their 16 matches throughout the Asian qualifying campaign, underlining their growing stature on the continental stage.

Their qualification follows a golden period for Jordanian football. In early 2024, they stunned many observers by reaching the AFC Asian Cup final for the first time before eventually losing 3-1 to hosts and defending champions Qatar.

Jordan also reached the final of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, narrowly missing out on the trophy after suffering a dramatic 3-2 extra-time defeat to Morocco.

Coach Jamal Sellami brings World Cup experience to the Jordan bench, having been part of Morocco’s squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

The North Africans-turned-West Asians have shown remarkable consistency under Sellami and will view their opening match as an opportunity to announce themselves on the biggest stage.

While Austria’s World Cup pedigree and European experience make them favourites, Jordan’s recent achievements suggest they are capable of causing problems for more established opponents.

With Austria eager to mark their long-awaited return with victory and Jordan determined to celebrate their historic debut in style, the Group J encounter promises to be one of the most intriguing opening matches of the tournament.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Lionel Messi is set to reach another remarkable milestone in his glittering international career when Argentina face Algeria in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J opener, with the Argentine captain preparing to make his 200th senior appearance for his country.

The match will also revive a rare international rivalry, as the two nations have met only once before. That encounter came in June 2007 when Argentina edged Algeria 4-3 in an entertaining friendly.

The game is remembered as a significant moment in Messi’s development on the international stage. Then just 19 years old, the future World Cup winner scored twice for Argentina, marking the first time he netted more than once in a senior international match.

Nearly two decades later, Messi remains the central figure in Argentine football and continues to rewrite the record books.

The reigning world champions will look to begin their title defence with victory against the North Africans, while Messi’s 200th appearance adds further significance to the occasion.

Since that memorable meeting in 2007, Messi has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in football history, leading Argentina to numerous major honours, including the FIFA World Cup title in Qatar in 2022 and multiple continental trophies.

The milestone appearance is another testament to the longevity, consistency and influence of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, whose international career has spanned almost two decades.

For Algeria, meanwhile, the match offers an opportunity to avenge that narrow defeat and test themselves against one of the tournament favourites.

The Desert Foxes arrive at the World Cup with ambitions of progressing beyond the group stage and will hope to spoil what is expected to be a celebratory occasion for Argentina’s iconic captain.

While the focus will inevitably fall on Messi and his latest landmark, Argentina will be wary of an Algerian side eager to create its own piece of history on the world stage.

As the defending champions begin their campaign, all eyes will be on the man who first announced himself against Algeria in 2007 and who now stands on the verge of a historic 200th appearance in the famous blue-and-white shirt.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Cape Verde produced one of the biggest surprises of the FIFA World Cup on Monday, holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw in their tournament debut thanks to a heroic defensive display and an inspired performance by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha.

Making their first-ever appearance at the World Cup, the African nation frustrated a star-studded Spanish side that dominated possession and created numerous chances but failed to find a way past the 40-year-old goalkeeper, who was deservedly named Player of the Match.

Spain controlled nearly 75 per cent of possession and fired 27 attempts at goal in the Group H encounter, but Cape Verde’s disciplined defensive organisation and remarkable resilience ensured they secured a historic point.

The Spaniards, who were seeking a winning start to their campaign, found themselves facing a defensive wall throughout the contest. Cape Verde sat deep in a five-man defensive line, often packing almost their entire team behind the ball and daring Spain to break them down.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s decision to leave influential wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams out of the starting lineup appeared to blunt his side’s attacking threat. Ferran Torres and Gavi struggled to stretch the Cape Verde defence, allowing the underdogs to maintain their compact shape.

Marc Cucurella came close early on with a long-range effort, while Mikel Oyarzabal failed to control a dangerous through ball inside the penalty area.

The turning point of the first half came when Vozinha began a string of spectacular saves. The experienced goalkeeper denied Pedri in the 36th minute before watching Ferran Torres strike the crossbar moments later. From the rebound, he produced an outstanding one-handed save to keep out Oyarzabal’s header.

Vozinha was called into action again before halftime, comfortably stopping another effort from Ferran before diving full length to push Aymeric Laporte’s header around the post.

Spain continued to dominate after the break but lacked precision in front of goal. Oyarzabal mistimed a close-range header, while Fabian Ruiz squandered two promising opportunities from outside the area.

De la Fuente introduced teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the 70th minute, and the substitute immediately injected urgency into Spain’s attack. His pace and dribbling ability forced Cape Verde to commit additional defenders and created more space in the final third.

The closest Spain came to a breakthrough arrived in the 88th minute when Yamal slipped a clever pass into Oyarzabal, only for the forward’s effort to be blocked at the last moment.

Cape Verde even threatened at the other end late in the match and nearly snatched an unlikely victory after earning a corner kick in the closing stages.

Spain captain Rodri admitted his side lacked the finishing touch needed to unlock the Cape Verde defence.

“It just wasn’t to be; there’s little to criticise. We knew it would be a game of patience; they sat deep, we created chances, but we couldn’t score,” Rodri said.

“It’s difficult against such a physical, defensive side. The positive is that they barely created anything against us, but we need to improve our finishing.”

Cape Verde midfielder Laros Duarte said the result had boosted his team’s confidence and belief that qualification for the knockout stage was achievable.

“Today our focus was on defence but we can show in the other games how good we are with the ball,” Duarte said.

“I have a good feeling moving forward because we know what we are capable of. It is realistic to start thinking now about qualifying for the next round.”

The draw leaves Group H finely balanced ahead of the meeting between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay later on Monday, while Cape Verde can celebrate a memorable first point at the World Cup and a result that will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in the nation’s football history.

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