Austria World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. The plan When Austria were briefly put under pressure during qualifying by a 1-0 defeat in Romania last year, the home side’s head coach, Mircea Lucescu, offered a pointed assessment: “Austria have been playing with the same team for years. That can be an advantage, but also a disadvantage, because opponents now know exactly how they play.” Austria’s head coach, Ralf Rangnick, was asked about it later and did not sound especially amused. There was some truth in it. Austria’s plan has been remarkably stable for years. Personnel have shifted here and there, but the spine has barely changed: Marcel Sabitzer in an attacking role, Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager in central midfield, and a defence built around Philipp Lienhart, Konrad Laimer and Stefan Posch. Continuity is one of their strengths. They did, however, suffer a severe setback on the eve of the tournament with Christoph Baumgartner ruled out with a thigh injury he sustained in the warmup before the game against Tunisia. “This is of course very bitter news for Christoph and for us as a team,” Rangnick said. …