Preview: Spain vs Austria - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Fighting for the right to meet Portugal or Croatia in a blockbuster last-16 tie, Spain and Austria lock horns in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup at the SoFi Stadium on Thursday evening.

The reigning European champions topped Group H to earn a date with Das Team, who claimed a respectable second place in Group J behind current Mundial masters Argentina.

Match preview

Backed to comfortably progress as Group H winners by the best betting sites for the World Cup, Spain followed the status quo after a disappointing opening draw with Cape Verde, taking seven points from nine on offer while conceding a grand total of zero goals.

Assuring themselves of a knockout place at the expense of Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay, La Roja edged out their South American counterparts 1-0 on the final matchday thanks to an Alex Baena winner, but it was De la Fuente's defence that stole the show.

Not only have Spain posted a 100% clean sheet record in North America so far, the European champions are yet to face a first-half shot on target, while they have not conceded more than six shots in any of their last five World Cup matches - just one of two teams to do so since 1966 after Argentina in 2022.

La Roja's extraordinary unbeaten run now stands at 34 matches in all competitions - excluding penalty-shootout losses - just one shy of their national team record of 35 set between 2007 and 2009 and also within touching distance of the all-time best ever.

Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 team holds the current record for the longest unbeaten run in men's international football - an unparalleled 37 games - but La Roja are heavy favourites to close the gap further on Thursday night.

© Iconsport / ICONSPORT

The gates were largely slammed shut during Uruguay vs. Spain, but the goals flowed in Austria's engrossing final group game, one in which Ralf Rangnick's men sealed a last-32 place by the skin of the skin of their teeth.

Had Riyad Mahrez's brace proved decisive for Algeria, Austria would have been heading out in third place owing to an inferior goal difference to fellow bronze medallists Senegal, but towering striker Sasa Kalajdzic nodded home a 96th-minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw to prolong Austria's Mundial journey.

Clinching second spot on goal difference over Algeria - who also progressed - Austria head into the knockout rounds knowing that a slice of World Cup history is theirs; they are the first team to ever avoid defeat in a World Cup match after falling behind in second-half stoppage time.

 

Austria

FIFA Ranking 24

Participations 8

Best Result 3rd Place

Our Prediction Last 32

Star player

Konrad Laimer is having an excellent season as an inverted full-back for Bayern Munich and will carry that form into the World Cup. The 28-year-old is not flashy, he keeps the ball moving quickly and reads the game as well as any defender in Europe, and if Austria are to perform well, he will need to be at the top of his game regardless of where Ralf Rangnick deploys him.

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Das Team's second-placed finish ended a 72-year exile from the World Cup knockout rounds, having failed to advance beyond a first or second group stage since the 1954 tournament, when they beat Switzerland 7-5 in a quarter-final epic before losing 6-1 to West Germany in the semis.

Austria also have to travel back to the last millennium for their most recent victory over Spain - a 3-2 friendly success in 1990 - but the two European rivals have not clashed since 2009, when David Villa struck twice in a 5-1 Roja romping.

Spain World Cup form:

Spain form (all competitions):

Austria World Cup form:

Austria form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Spain's rearguard resilience has come to the fore at an ideal time, as De la Fuente has been hamstrung by attacking injuries to Yeremy Pino (shoulder), Nico Williams (adductor) and Victor Munoz (thigh), all of whom are at risk of missing the last-32 match.

Liverpool-bound Munoz seemingly has the best chance of being available, but Baena should not cede his spot on the left-hand side after coming up with the decisive moment against Uruguay - his first goal for the national team since October 2024.

De la Fuente's only selection dilemma comes in the middle of the park, where Mikel Merino was given the nod against Uruguay, but Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Gavi are all competing to displace the Arsenal man.

On the Austrian end, veterans Marko Arnautovic and David Alaba were a little worse for wear following the six-goal thriller with Algeria, but neither man is thought to be suffering from anything more serious than minor knee discomfort.

Rangnick otherwise has no concerns whatsoever for Thursday night, when Kevin Danso and Michael Gregoritsch will be on standby to replace Alaba and Arnautovic if need be; Kalajdzic's heroics are unlikely to put him in the frame for a start.

Spain possible starting lineup:

Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Merino, Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena

Austria possible starting lineup:

A. Schlager; Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene; Siewald, X. Schlager; Laimer, Schmid, Sabitzer; Arnautovic

We say: Spain 2-0 Austria

While Spain have been unyielding defensively at the World Cup so far, the Mundial pressure seems to get the better of Austria, who have failed to keep a clean sheet in 12 straight matches at the competition.

Therefore, even with their injury concerns in attack, La Roja should capitalise on Rangnick's rearguard frailties and progress to the last 16 without too much trouble.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.