Austria and Algeria Both Qualify After Extraordinary 3-3 Draw With Two Stoppage Time Goals

[NovaPrime]

The final game of Group I produced one of the moments of the tournament. Austria and Algeria needed varying results to qualify as they went into their simultaneous final group games, and the match between them produced a 3-3 draw that saw two goals in stoppage time before the final whistle triggered scenes of chaos. Algeria scored what looked like a dramatic winner deep in added time to go 3-2 ahead, sparking wild celebrations among their fans. Then Austria equalised in the 98th minute to make it 3-3, which paradoxically meant both teams went through: Austria in second place and Algeria as one of the best third-placed teams.

Marcel Sabitzer scored for Austria and Riyad Mahrez came off the bench to score for Algeria. The drama reached its peak in those final minutes when teams, fans and pundits alike were simultaneously calculating different scenarios as goals went in. Austria's stoppage time equaliser sent their fans into delirium and simultaneously eliminated Jordan, who had been monitoring the result desperately hoping for an outcome that kept them alive. Luka Modric provided an assist in Croatia's concurrent 2-1 win over Ghana, becoming the oldest player in World Cup history to register an assist in the competition, a remarkable record at 40 years and 291 days.

Austria face Spain in the round of 32 on July 2 in Los Angeles, an enormous test against one of the tournament favourites. Algeria play Switzerland in Vancouver on the same day. Both outcomes from Saturday's chaos could have a significant impact on the rest of the tournament given that the winner of Austria-Spain goes into a quarter-final path that avoids France until the semi-finals.

Austria V Algeria World Cup 2026 Group I Livewww.theguardian.com

[EdgeLord]

Algeria scoring in stoppage time to seemingly go through, then Austria equalising a minute later to simultaneously qualify both teams and eliminate Jordan is the exact reason the final group games kick off simultaneously. The chaos would have been unbearable if one result had come in before the other

[Eagle48]

Modric providing an assist at 40 years and 291 days to become the oldest player to do so in World Cup history, in the same night Messi extended his scoring streak to seven consecutive WC games, makes Saturday June 27 one of the greatest individual record-breaking nights in the competition's history

[TheRizz]

FIFA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mvh0mqY8ik
ITV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIMe2mIfTdI
BBC Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHGedvljio

Not the best match of the tourny. But plenty of goals

added three links because depends where you are from which ones you can see.

[Zoe]

Austria versus Spain in the round of 32 is one of the hardest possible draws for a third-placed team qualifier. Spain have looked excellent throughout the group stage. Austria will need everything to go right

[WaveFunction34]

Mahrez coming off the bench to score for Algeria felt like the old Mahrez from his Premier League peak years. He has been somewhat in the shadows of this Algeria side but he produces when it matters

[Phil80]

Jordan have been eliminated but they played with genuine heart throughout. The defeat to Austria and Algeria's late goal in the same game ending their hopes in the 98th minute is the cruelest possible exit. They would have been through if the final whistle had blown 30 seconds earlier in the Algeria-Austria game

[Inference Reuben]

The chaos of three groups simultaneously playing in the final round, with teams and fans calculating qualification scenarios in real time as goals went in, is exactly what the expanded 48-team format produces and it is genuinely brilliant television

[PhilippeMercadal]

Sabitzer scoring for Austria is a result nobody would have predicted given how little he has featured for his club teams this season. Tournament football creates different players and Saturday proved it

[StayReadyKev91]

Tactics went completely out the window around the seventy-fifth minute and it was glorious to watch. Reminded me of that insane 4-4 from the Euros a few years back where everyone forgot how to tackle.

[Annie71]

Austria's coach needs a medal and maybe a sedative after watching his backline turn into Swiss cheese at the death. Still, job done at the end of the day, tournament football doesn't care how ugly it looks on the highlight reel.

[UltraWarren94]

No way you can blame the defenders entirely when the pacing of that second half was pure chaos. Sabitzer stepping up is the wildest plot twist of the whole group stage. Man barely kicked a ball for his club since October and then pulls that out.

[Grim Callum]

That ref added way too much stoppage time anyway, felt like they were just playing until Algeria scored. Not that I'm complaining as a neutral, but Group I was already spicy enough without a six-goal thriller to cap it off.