Austria are back on the World Cup stage for the first time since 1998 and will be expected to make a winning start when they face tournament debutants Jordan in their Group J opener at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday.Ralf Rangnicks side arrive in strong form after winning all three of their World Cup warm-up matches, while Jordan head into their first-ever World Cup appearance looking to end a difficult run that has seen them fail to win any of their last five games.Austria secured qualification by finishing top of their UEFA qualifying group, edging out Bosnia & Herzegovina thanks in part to Michael Gregoritschs late equaliser in a crucial 1-1 draw in their final fixture. Since then, they have maintained that momentum with wins over Ghana, South Korea and Tunisia.With tougher Group J fixtures against Argentina and Algeria still to come, Austria will view this opening match as a key opportunity to put three points on the board. The Austrians are aiming to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time since 1954.Jordan, meanwhile, made history by qualifying for their first World Cup finals after finishing second in their AFC qualifying group. Jamal Sellamis side impressed by reaching the Arab Cup final after qualification, but they have struggled since then, drawing two and losing two of their last four friendlies.Table of ContentsWorld Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan team newsAustria v Jordan: World Cup 2026 predicted line-upsWhere to watch Austria v Jordan: TV channel, live online streamsWorld Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan statsWorld Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan predictionWorld Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan team newsAustria are without Christoph Baumgartner, who was forced to miss the tournament through injury and has been replaced in the squad by Dejan Ljubicic.Patrick Wimmer, Florian Grillitsch and David Alaba have all been carrying fitness concerns, although Alaba is expected to be available from the start.In Baumgartners absence, Romano Schmid, Marcel Sabitzer, Michael Gregoritsch and veteran striker Marko Arnautovic are expected to form Austrias attacking unit.Jordan have also suffered a significant setback, with Yazan Al Naimat unavailable due to the injury that has kept him sidelined since December. The forward scored eight goals during World Cup qualifying and will be a major miss.Ibrahim Sabra withdrew from the squad before the tournament and was replaced by Mohammad Taha.Austria v Jordan: World Cup 2026 predicted line-upsAustria predicted XI: Alexander Schlager; Konrad Laimer, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba, Phillipp Mwene; Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald; Romano Schmid, Marcel Sabitzer, Michael Gregoritsch; Marko Arnautovic.Jordan predicted XI: Yazeed Abulaila; Abdullah Nasib, Yazan Al-Arab, Bara Marei; Mohammad Abu Hashish, Nizar Al Rashdan, Noor Al Rawabdeh, Mohammad Taha; Mousa Tamari, Ali Olwan, Odeh Fakhouri.Where to watch Austria v Jordan: TV channel, live online streamsKick-off on Wednesday is at 05:00 BST (00:00 ET / 21:00 on Tuesday PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.Fans can stream the action on a vast range of devices through the BBC iPlayer app or BBC Sport website.World Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan statsAustria are at their eighth World Cup after finishing top of their group ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina to book their first participation since 1998, when they were knocked out in the group stageTheir best performance at a World Cup was in 1954, when they finished third. In the quarter-finals, they were involved in the most prolific World Cup match to date by beating Switzerland 7-5Austria allowed their opponents fewer passes than any other side before a defensive action during qualifying, indicating that no European side pressed more intensely than themMarko Arnautovic, who will be 37 at the World Cup, became Austrias all-time top scorer during the qualifiers (47 goals), overtaking Anton Polster (44)Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer are the only players who have featured for Austria at each of the last three EURO tournaments (2016, 2020, 2024)Ralf Rangnick is the second head coach to lead Austria at two major international tournaments World Cup and EURO), after Josef Hickersberger (1990 World Cup and EURO 2008). Rangnicks side reached the round of 16 at EURO 2024Jordan could become the first team to reach the knockout stage in their debut appearance since Slovakia in 2010They were runners-up at the last Asian Cup, played in 2023, losing the final 3-1 to hosts QatarA tally 32 goals in qualifying was Jordans highest total in a single qualifying campaign, surpassing their 2014 record of 30 goalsIn qualifying, Jordan were one of three AFC sides who reached the finals while remaining unbeaten away (W4 D4), along with Australia and Korea Republic.Irans Mehdi Taremi (17 10 goals, 7 assists) and Qatars Akram Afif (15 4 goals, 11 assists) were the only players directly involved in more goals than Jordan forward Yazan Al-Naimat (14 8 goals, 6 assists) during the AFC qualifying campaignHead coach Jamal Sellami will become the fourth Moroccan to manage at a World Cup after Abdellah Blinda (1994), Walid Regragui (2022) and Mohamed Ouahbi (2026), but the first to lead a nation other than MoroccoWorld Cup 2026: Austria v Jordan predictionAustria possess significantly more quality and experience at this level and arrive in excellent form following a strong qualifying campaign and impressive warm-up results.Jordan deserve enormous credit for reaching their first World Cup, but their recent defensive struggles are difficult to ignore. Expect Austria to control possession, create the better chances and begin their tournament with a comfortable win.Prediction: Austria 3-1 JordanResponsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. If you ever feel that gambling is becoming a problem, there are several organisations you can contact for free, confidential support.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 8 am to midnight, 7 days a week)GamCare: www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware: gambleaware.orgGamStop: www.gamstop.co.uk (free self-exclusion service)Tools available through bet365 include deposit limits, session time reminders, loss limits, self-exclusion and Reality Checks. These can be accessed via the Safer Gambling section of your account at any time. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. 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