The Austrian national team is preparing for its eighth appearance in the World Cup, which will be held in 2026 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The team's primary goal is to advance past the group stage. Austria's best result was achieved at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, where they finished third. Repeating that feat will be very challenging.
The history of Austria's national team at the World Cup is filled with both successes and disappointments. At their debut tournament in 1934 in Italy, the team reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated by the hosts. In the quarter-finals, Austria beat Hungary 2-1, and in the first round, they overcame France 3-2 in extra time.
In 1954 in Switzerland, Austria achieved its highest-ever finish—third place. However, the path to the bronze medal was difficult: in the semi-finals, the team was heavily defeated 1-6 by eventual champions, West Germany. In the third-place playoff, the Austrians took their revenge on Uruguay with a 3-1 victory.
There were also unsuccessful campaigns. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Austria finished last in their group, losing to Brazil and the Soviet Union and drawing with England.
In 1978 in Argentina, the team advanced to the next stage but failed to perform well there, losing in their group to the Netherlands and Italy.
At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Austria again failed to progress beyond the second group stage, becoming a victim of the infamous "agreement" with the West German team in a match that went down in history as the "Tragedy of Gijón".
In the following decades, the team consistently qualified for the finals but rarely progressed beyond the group stage. In 1990 in Italy, 1998 in France, and 2006 in Germany, Austria finished third or fourth in their group and were eliminated.
Thus, despite its rich history and proud tradition, the Austrian team has yet to repeat its 1954 success and sets modest goals, such as advancing from the group stage.
