Austria's World Cup qualifier starts: Do-Or-Die against Romania in the stadium!

Austria's World Cup qualifier starts: Do-Or-Die against Romania in the stadium!

On June 6, 2025, an important chapter in football history begins for the Austrian national team when it competes against Romania in the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The kick -off takes place at 8:45 p.m. and the team is under great pressure after the disappointing qualification for the 2018 World Cup and a number of failed qualifications for the World Cup since 1998. [Laola1] (https://www.laola1.at/de/Red/sport-mix/laola1-daily/la1-daily-epp5 ---oesterreichs-wm-benteuer-jetzt/) reports that the opening game for Austria is described as a "do-or-to-game game", especially after a kick-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina also urgently needed points.

In the qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Austria was solved in Group H, which, in addition to Romania, also includes the other opponents of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. The team from Austria is a favorite in this group and strives to celebrate a return to a World Cup after over 25 years. Fussball-Wm.Pro emphasizes that the ÖFB-Elf in the World Cup qualifier has already failed six times in a row, which further increases the pressure on the current team under team boss Ralf Rangnick.

the squad and the expectations

The contingent for the first qualification games has experienced top performers such as Marko Arnautović, Konrad Laimer and Marcel Sabitzer, as well as new faces: Nikolas sparkling and Thierno Ballo are in the squad for the first time. A bitter setback for the team is the lack of David Alaba, who must continue to pause due to an injury. His possible return date is still unclear what the team has an additional challenge. Fussball-Wm.Pro indicates that according to the current status, the qualification table is in the last place with 0 points from the first game, while Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania have already collected points.

The next Games of the World Cup qualification have already been set. On June 10, 2025, Austria meets San Marino, followed by a home game against Cyprus on September 6, 2025. A group victory has been aimed at, but if this does not succeed, Austria would have to try the remaining places as a group in playoffs.

Review of the last qualifications

The qualifications of the past few years have often been difficult for Austria. At the 2018 World Cup, the team failed in Group D, although one could win against outsiders such as Georgia and Moldova. The memories of the missed opportunities are still fresh, and the club now has to learn from its mistakes. The goal remains clear: a return to the World Cup, the last qualification has been for several decades. Fussball-Wm.Pro shows that Austria could no longer take part in a World Cup finals from 1998 and this increases the motivation of the players for the upcoming challenges.

With the squad, performance and the right mentality approach, the team under Ralf Rangnick could be successful in the current World Cup qualification. The fans hope for a positive turn and a possible move into the 2026 World Cup finals to finally continue the big football adventure.