Austria and Algeria draw 3-3 in stoppage-time drama, both advance at World Cup
6 verified5 unconfirmed
Austria and Algeria played to a thrilling 3-3 draw on Saturday night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, with both teams scoring in stoppage time to secure the point they needed to advance to the World Cup knockout stage. The result eliminated Iran from the tournament, as it simultaneously sent Austria and Algeria through from Group J. Riyad Mahrez appeared to have won the match for Algeria when he scored in the 93rd minute, but Austria substitute Sasa Kalajdzic headed in an equalizer in the 96th minute on the game’s final play. Austria finished second in the group and will face Spain in the round of 32, while Algeria finished third and will take on Switzerland. The match drew a crowd of 69,045 and became one of the most dramatic finishes of the group phase. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick described the game as having an unexpected trajectory and compared the drama to something Alfred Hitchcock might have written.
What’s verified
The match ended in a 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Both teams advanced to the knockout round; Iran was eliminated.
Riyad Mahrez scored for Algeria in the 93rd minute, and Sasa Kalajdzic equalized for Austria in the 96th minute.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also scored for Austria; Rafik Belghali scored for Algeria.
Austria will face Spain in the round of 32; Algeria will face Switzerland.
Attendance was 69,045.
Not yet confirmed
Iran finished third in Group G with draws against Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt, according to a single report.
The same report detailed that Iran played under tight U.S. travel restrictions, faced visa denials for support staff, and was required to depart the U.S. quickly after matches.
That report also stated that Iran requested and was granted permission to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, two weeks before the team arrived.
Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei was quoted in that report saying the team was treated “very, very badly” by the host nation.
The report also referenced broader geopolitical tensions, including a U.S.-led war that began on Feb. 28 and an Iranian drone assault targeting Bahrain on the day of the match.
Misconceptions
The sources note that some observers questioned whether the match would be a low-effort draw since both teams knew a draw would send them through. Instead, the game featured dramatic stoppage-time goals and high intensity.
Key figures
Ralf Rangnick – Austria coach
Marko Arnautovic – Austria player
Marcel Sabitzer – Austria player
Sasa Kalajdzic – Austria player
Riyad Mahrez – Algeria player
Rafik Belghali – Algeria player
Houssem Aouar – Algeria player
Oussama Benbot – Algeria goalkeeper
Alexander Schlager – Austria goalkeeper
Vladimir Petkovic – Algeria coach
Amir Ghalenoei – Iran coach
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports, abcnews.com
