Austria versus Jordan
- Kick-off:
- Stadium: Levi's Stadium · San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Austria
Austria return for their first tournament since 1998 — a 28-year wait, ended by a vibrant Ralf Rangnick generation. The German coach, who took over in 2022 and rejected multiple major club offers to stay, has installed his classic high-pressing 4-2-2-2. Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Konrad Laimer (Bayern), Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig) and Marko Arnautović form the spine; David Alaba (Real Madrid) returns from injury to lead the back if fit. The Euro 2024 round-of-16 exit to Türkiye stung but the performances were elite. Group J with Argentina, Algeria and Jordan is winnable for second; Austria's Rangnick-era pressing identity gives them genuine upset potential. The quarter-final — never reached in their history — is the dream.
Jordan
Jordan make their tournament debut, an extraordinary first for a country that had reached only the AFC play-off in three previous cycles. Hussein Ammouta, the Moroccan-born coach who delivered the 2024 Asian Cup final run, leads the Al-Nashama with structure and counter-attacking pace. Musa Al-Taamari (Montpellier) is the wing star; Yazan Al-Naimat provides the goal-threat; Mohammad Abu Hashish anchors midfield; Yazid Atouni keeps goal. Jordan's 2024 AFC final was the moment a footballing nation announced itself — they lost 3-1 to Qatar but earned the world's respect. Group J with Argentina, Algeria and Austria is brutal but there is no pressure: this entire tournament is bonus territory. A point against Algeria or a competitive draw with Austria would already be national history.
Levi's Stadium
Levi's Stadium hosts six matches in 2026, including round-of-32 fixtures, anchoring the tournament in Northern California. Located in Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose, the venue opened in 2014 and is the home of the San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise. Capacity for football is approximately 68,500. The pitch was reconverted from artificial turf to natural grass for the tournament. Climate: Bay Area summer is dry and pleasantly warm (22-28°C), with cool evening fog patterns making evening kickoffs particularly comfortable. The stadium is open-air with no roof. The Bay Area's tech-driven affluence and large East Asian population (Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese communities) make Levi's a strategic location for AFC supporter contingents and a corporate-hospitality magnet.