Spain and Austria battle for a place in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, with a quarter-final route that could lead to a blockbuster showdown against either Portugal or Croatia.
La Roja arrive as one of the tournament’s standout teams after topping Group H with three wins from three, sealing first place thanks to a 1-0 victory over Uruguay courtesy of an Alex Baena strike. Luis de la Fuente’s side have been outstanding defensively, keeping a clean sheet in every World Cup match so far and not allowing a single first-half shot on target during the tournament.
Austria, meanwhile, produced one of the most dramatic moments of the group stage to reach the knockout rounds. A dramatic 96th-minute equaliser from Sasa Kalajdzic secured a 3-3 draw against Algeria, earning Das Team second place in Group J on goal difference and making them the first nation in World Cup history to avoid defeat after trailing in second-half stoppage time.
Team News
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.
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.
Possible Lineups
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
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport |
| Live Stream | DSTV stream |
| Kick-off Time | 20:00 (WAT) |
Match predictions
Softfootball predicts Spain 2-1 Austria
