Austria and Algeria played to a chaotic 3-3 draw in their final Group J match at Arrowhead Stadium, securing knockout stage berths for both nations while simultaneously eliminating Iran from the 2026 World Cup.
The final moments delivered a frantic stoppage-time sequence. Algeria appeared to clinch an outright victory when captain Riyad Mahrez netted his second goal of the day in the 93rd minute. But Austrian substitute Saša Kalajdžić rescued his squad with a 96th-minute equalizer on the final play of the game.
That late whistle dealt a severe blow to Iran. Team Melli would have advanced as one of the tournament’s top third-place teams had either side secured a win, but the draw officially eliminated Iran from the competition.
The scoring opened with Marko Arnautović, who buried his record-extending 49th career international goal for Austria in the 28th minute. Rafik Belghali answered for Algeria just before halftime. Marcel Sabitzer restored the Austrian advantage in the 55th minute before Mahrez initially leveled the score at 2-2 on the hour mark.
Austria finishes second in Group J behind Argentina and will face Spain in the Round of 32. The result sends Austria to the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time since 1982. Algeria advances as a third-place qualifier and is scheduled to play Switzerland.