Borussia Dortmund's Austrian contingent Marcel Sabitzer and Carney Chukwuemeka opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over tournament debutants Jordan.
Neither player scored or assisted, but Ralf Rangnick's side picked up all three points on the opening day of the competition to boost their progression hopes.
Romano Schmid put Austria, playing their first World Cup game since 1998, 1-0 up after 21 minutes as Jordan responded early in the second half through Ali Olwan.
An own goal from Yazan Al-Arab in the 76th minute restored Austria's lead before Marko Arnautovic added gloss to the scoreline with a stoppage-time penalty for 3-1.
They next face defending world champions Argentina in a daunting Group J clash on Monday, 22 June at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, United States. Player ratings for BVB stars:
Marcel Sabitzer - 7.5/10
Operating from the left wing, Marcel Sabitzer constantly asked questions of Jordan's defense with his buccaneering runs forward and fed his attacking cohorts with 10 crosses, more than anyone on the field today.
His link-up plays in the pocket of spaces were brilliant too, as it helped Austria maneuver their way into the Jordanian area. Sabitzer completed 83% of his passes and was vital defensively too, making six recoveries and three interceptions.
Sabizter tracked back whenever necessary while also making a real statement in the offense, turning in a superb all-round display that was expected of him. However, his inability to find the net means Sabizter's record of having scored in all of Austria's games this year came to an end.
Carney Chukwuemeka - 5/10
Once again, Carney Chukwuemeka came off the bench for Austria, just as he did in their pre-tournament warmup tie against Tunisia on 2 June. He replaced Xaver Schlager in the 59th minute for his first appearance at a major tournament and it proved to be a damp squib.
Chukwuemeka rarely got involved, making just 11 passes (and completing nine) in 31 minutes of action. Off the ball too, his movements weren't inspiring and lacked any sort of aggression needed to win back the ball.
His best moment of the game though, came just four minutes after coming on when the midfielder came in with a decent chance. His attempt was blocked amid a sea of white, Jordanian shirts but it sure as hell rattled the Chivalrous Ones.
If Chukwuemeka was to nail down a starting berth, he will have to do more.
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