Austria's football: With a new team spirit against San Marino!

Austria's football: With a new team spirit against San Marino!

Wien, Österreich - On June 8, 2025, Austria's national soccer team celebrated a brilliant start to the World Cup qualification. With a 2-1 win against Romania in the sold-out Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, the ÖFB kickers have secured important three points. The victory is a ray of hope for the team, which has hoped for a World Cup ticket since 1998, but has recently failed in the past six qualification tournaments. The locations against San Marino in the next few days are now crucial for achieving the goal of qualifying for the World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Austria went into play as a favorite, and despite the pressure situation for the Romanian team that was weakened after a 0-1 defeat against Bosnia, it was not an easy game. Team boss Ralf Rangnick conjured up his players before the match to show maximum energy and implement a strong pressing.

He already announced that Patrick Pentz will be in the goal because Alexander Schlager is injured. Defense chief Gernot Trauner, who was previously closed, will be available again for the coming game against San Marino, which will strengthen the team.

team preparations and player updates

After the game against Romania, most players of the squad remained active, while striker Marko Arnautovic regenerated themselves in the hotel because of an intensive burden. The offensive man Raul Florucz will also travel to Rimini on Monday to take part in the next game. Rangnick set a final training in Vienna for Monday evening before the team flies to his next station.

Austria's next opponent, the team from San Marino, is classified as a soccer dwarf in the current qualification group. Nevertheless, the Austrians should be warned because an careless attitude can lead to unpleasant surprises. The table sees Austria, Romania and Cyprus, each with 3 points behind the previous group tour through Bosnia-Herzegovina.

foresight and goals

The goals of Rangnick and the ÖFB are clear: groupplace one means direct World Cup qualification. Second place could only lead to the final round through the playoffs. In the World Cup qualification, Austria is now playing with group members, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. Rangnick must therefore make sure that his team celebrates the corresponding success in the upcoming games against weaker opponents such as San Marino and Cyprus.

The team has some new faces in the squad, such as Nikolas sparkling and Thierno Ballo who want to prove themselves. Rangnick will hope that experienced players such as Arnautovic, Laimer and Sabitzer will contribute to a strong qualification.

The next challenge is already on June 10, 2025. Then the ÖFB team travels to San Marino, where the next step towards participating in the World Cup should take place. The chance is to inspire the fans and show the class.

reports that Arnautovic and Co. appears. Weltfussball exactly analyzed and Fussball-wm.Pro offers deeper insights into the group dynamics and the challenges that lie in front of the Austrian national team.