Austria's World Cup Qualification: A Dream Come True

Austria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Austrian team, led by coach Franco Foda, lost 2-1 to Wales in the semifinals of the World Cup playoffs. This defeat meant that Austria did not advance to the final tournament, despite a goal from Marcel Sabitzer. Denmark, the group winners, directly qualified for the World Cup finals, while Scotland, the runners-up, and Austria, the fourth-placed team, advanced to the second round (play-offs).

Austria's 2022 World Cup qualification campaign

Austria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They were placed in UEFA Group F, alongside Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Israel, Moldova, and Scotland. The group was played in a round-robin format, with teams playing each other home and away.

Austria finished fourth in their group, with group winners Denmark qualifying directly for the World Cup finals. Runners-up Scotland also advanced to the second round of qualification, along with Austria, who progressed to the play-offs.

In the play-off semi-final, Austria faced Wales in Cardiff. Despite a goal from Marcel Sabitzer, Austria lost 2-1, ending their hopes of reaching the World Cup. Wales took the lead with a brace from Gareth Bale, before Sabitzer pulled one back for Austria in the 64th minute. However, Austria couldn't find an equaliser.

Austria's head coach Franco Foda

Austria has played in seven World Cup finals tournaments, the most recent being in 1998. They failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing to Wales in Cardiff. Franco Foda was the head coach of the Austrian national team at the time.

Foda, a German football manager and former player, was born on 23 April 1966. He played in over 400 top-flight matches in West Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. During his playing career, Foda featured as a defender for clubs such as 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen, and VfB Stuttgart. He also earned two caps for West Germany, playing against Argentina and Brazil in 1987.

Foda's coaching career began in 2001 with Sturm Graz as an assistant coach. He had a brief stint as interim head coach in 2002 before becoming the permanent head coach. During his time at Sturm Graz, he won the Austrian Cup in 2010 and the Austrian Bundesliga in 2011. However, he was sacked in 2012 after the club was knocked out of the Austrian Cup.

Foda then had a short spell at 1. FC Kaiserslautern as their head coach but was sacked in 2013. He returned to Sturm Graz in 2014 and later became the manager of the Austria national team in 2018. Despite his efforts, Austria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, leading to Foda's resignation in March 2022.

Following his departure from the Austrian national team, Foda had a brief stint with FC Zürich before becoming the head coach of the Kosovo national team in February 2024.

Austria's 2022 World Cup play-off match against Wales

The match was a close contest, with Wales ultimately emerging as the winners with a final score of 2-1. Welsh captain Gareth Bale played a pivotal role in the team's victory, scoring both of Wales' goals. Bale's first goal was an exquisite free-kick in the first half that curled into the top corner, leaving the Austrian goalkeeper motionless. The second goal came in the 51st minute, with Bale showcasing his class and finishing ability with a snap shot into the corner.

Austria put up a strong fight and managed to pull a goal back in the 64th minute through Marcel Sabitzer, whose shot deflected off Ben Davies and into the Welsh net. Despite Austria's efforts, Wales held on to their lead and secured the victory.

With this win, Wales advanced to the play-off final, moving just one step away from qualifying for the World Cup. They were scheduled to face the winner of the match between Scotland and Ukraine, which was postponed due to the conflict in Ukraine. The play-off final was expected to take place in June, with the winner securing a spot in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Austria's performance in the UEFA Group F

Austria's performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group F saw them finish fourth in their group and advance to the second round (play-offs). The group consisted of six teams: Austria, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Israel, Moldova, and Scotland.

Austria's performance in the group stage was mixed. They managed to secure important wins and draws, finishing with a record of six wins, one draw, and one loss. This placed them as runners-up to group winners Belgium and above nations such as Azerbaijan.

However, their dream of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was cut short by a 2-1 defeat to Wales in the play-off semi-final. Despite a goal from Marcel Sabitzer, Gareth Bale's brace for Wales proved too much, and Austria missed out on the finals tournament.

Austria has appeared in four editions of the UEFA European Championship: 2008, 2016, 2020, and 2024. They co-hosted the tournament in 2008, automatically qualifying, but were eliminated in the group stage. In 2016, they again exited in the group stage after only one point.

Austria showed improvement in the following tournaments, reaching the knockout stage in both 2020 and 2024. In 2020, they were eliminated by Italy in the round of 16 after extra time. In 2024, they finished top of their group for the first time but were defeated by Turkey in the round of 16.

Austria's previous World Cup appearances

Austria has played in the World Cup seven times, most recently in 1998. Their best performance was in 1954 when they placed third. They also came fourth in 1934.

In the 1934 World Cup in Italy, Austria reached the semi-finals after defeating France and Hungary. They lost 0-1 to hosts and eventual champions Italy. In the third-place match against Germany, Austria conceded a goal after 25 seconds by Ernst Lehner—the fastest goal in World Cup history until 1962.

In the 1938 World Cup in France, Austria qualified by defeating Latvia but did not appear in the finals as the country was annexed by Germany, and no replacement team was chosen. Nine Austrian players joined the German national squad instead. Willibald Schmaus and Rudolf Raftl became the first players to represent two different nations at the World Cup.

In the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, Austria initially registered to participate but later withdrew. They also qualified for the group stage in 1958, 1982, 1990, and 1998.

Austria failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a 2-1 defeat to Wales in the play-off semi-final.

Frequently asked questions