Spain vs. Austria: Alex Baena could become La Roja's unlikely hero at the 2026 World Cup

Alex Baena is set to keep his spot in the starting side when Spain take on Austria in the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup at SoFi Stadium in California on Thursday.

Nico Williams' fitness has been a major talking point for Spain this summer, and the attacker has picked up another issue which is likely to rule him out against Austria.

Gavi was tasked with playing as the left-sided attacker against Cape Verde in Spain's opening match of this summer's World Cup, but the Barcelona star found it difficult.

Baena was then given the nod against Saudi Arabia, and smart work from the Atletico Madrid attacker in that area gave Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal the platform to shine.

An error from Fernando Muslera ?

Alex Baena puts Spain in front after the Uruguyan keeper fails to get hold of the ball pic.twitter.com/HUWn98QoXt
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 27, 2026

Spain vs. Austria: Baena set to retain starting role

Marc Cucurella also benefitted from Baena's presence against Saudi Arabia, with the new Real Madrid defender able to drive down the left with the latter cutting inside.

It was therefore not a surprise when Baena retained his spot for the final group-stage fixture against Uruguay, and the 24-year-old came up with the decisive moment in that clash.

Baena's goal was incredibly untidy from Uruguay's point of view, but it was a sharp turn and strike from the Atletico attacker, who contributed heavily to the win.

According to WhoScored, Baena finished with a pass success rate of 76%, which is a solid number for a wide player who has been asked to take risks in the final third.

Baena also made two tackles, proving to be important from a defensive point of view.

Williams' injury has opened door for Baena at World Cup

Pre-tournament, not too many had earmarked Baena to play a key role for Spain this summer - the attacker did not have the greatest of seasons for Atletico in 2025-26, only scoring twice and providing three assists in 46 appearances following a move from Villarreal.

Baena had also only scored two goals for the national team ahead of the World Cup, and he did not receive the call-up off the bench against Cape Verde.

When fit, Nico Williams is ahead of him, but Baena is currently keeping the likes of Gavi, Victor Munoz and Ferran Torres out of the starting side.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente is unlikely to find a good enough reason to change against Austria, with Baena quietly becoming an important player for La Roja.

Spain need Yamal in full flow late in the World Cup

The reigning European champions will, of course, be looking to Yamal for inspiration in the latter stages of the tournament, and it is unlikely that Spain will be able to win the World Cup unless the wonderkid can come up with some special performances in the knockout rounds.

France are going along very nicely at this stage, while the same can be said for Argentina, with the duo potentially meeting in a second successive World Cup final.

Spain will be hoping to have something to say about that, and their reward for beating Austria could be a blockbuster clash with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the round of 16.

La Roja have been defensively solid this summer, with Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Cucurella all impressing, while the same can also be said for Pedri and Rodri.

The third midfielder remains an issue for De la Fuente, with Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino and Dani Olmo all battling for that spot, but Yamal and Oyarzabal are certainties in attack.

Baena cannot be branded a certainty quite yet, but the Atletico attacker is becoming an important player for De la Fuente, who will be looking for more inspiration from the ex-Villarreal star against Austria.