Austria begin their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over debutants Jordan in Group J. Romano Schmid gives Austria the lead, striking from distance to score in the first half. Jordan respond and level the match with their first-ever World Cup goal, with multiple reports describing a key phase around the equaliser involving a deflection that comes off a Jordan defender from a corner, turning the scoring into an own-goal contribution before Jordan take a 2-1 lead in the lead-up to the later goals. As the match progresses, Jordan stay competitive and Austria’s finishing comes in decisive moments.
In the closing stages, Marko Arnautovic scores Austria’s third goal from the penalty spot, converting a late penalty in stoppage time to seal the result. The win marks Austria’s return to the World Cup and ends a long wait for a tournament victory, setting up a later group match against defending champions Argentina, depending on the schedule.
