Algeria Austria – Algeria and Austria played to a draw at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on June 27, with Riyad Mahrez scoring twice and Sasa Kalajdzic netting a stoppage-time header to force a point after a late Algeria lead. Both teams advanced to the round of 32, with Aust
Kansas City went quiet for stretches of a must-win World Cup showdown—then erupted the moment the clock refused to cooperate.
On June 27 at Arrowhead Stadium. Algeria and Austria entered level on three points and with the situation so unusual it almost felt unreal: neither had advanced. and a draw would send both through to the round of 32. The game still started like a test of nerves. not a detente. and it stayed that way through a second half packed with swing points. near misses. and two late goals.
By the final whistle, the match ended in a draw—exactly what both sides needed to keep their tournament alive—yet it was the timing that made it sting and thrill in equal measure.
The sequence began with Austria striking first. Marko Arnautovic scored at the 28′ mark, reaching the back of the net on a close-range, right-foot shot to the bottom right corner, assisted by David Alaba with a through ball. Austria led 1-0.
Algeria answered before halftime. Rafik Belghali scored at the 45′ mark. collecting the moment from the center of the box and finishing into the top right corner just after showboating moves to elude defenders. It leveled the score at 1-1 as both sides headed into the extra minutes added to the first half.
The second half began tied at 1-1, but it didn’t take long for the match to start changing shape.
At the 60′ mark. Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez drew the score level again at 2-2—scoring with a left-foot shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. assisted by Houssem Aouar. It was a momentum shift that left the complexion of the game swinging back toward the team fighting for a higher finish in Group J.
Austria found a way to reclaim the lead in between. Marcel Sabitzer scored to make it 2-1, using the inside of his right foot to finish from outside the box into the top right corner and into the back of the net. Konrad Laimer was credited with the assist.
Then came the late drama—first Algeria, then Austria.
As the match appeared to be reaching its end with Algeria positioned to claim second place, Mahrez scored again in stoppage time. He struck in the 93rd minute to give Algeria a 3-2 lead. The goal came on an assist from Houssem Aouar.
Austria refused to accept elimination for the final time on the scoreboard. Michael Gregoritsch set up the equalizer when Sasa Kalajdzic found the back of the net with a header in the 96th minute, assisted by Gregoritsch.
The finish sealed the result: a draw with stoppage-time heroics on both sides.
The tournament impact was clear even if the emotions weren’t. Austria claimed second place in Group J while Algeria took third; both teams advanced to the round of 32.
The rest of the game showed how evenly the margins were drawn. After both teams remained scoreless through 45 minutes plus four additional minutes in the first half. the match at various points swung between aggression and caution—especially through the 80′ mark. when both sides played it safer despite having everything at stake.
Austria came close early. Xaver Schlager missed an attempt at the 8′ mark, firing a left-foot shot high from outside the box. Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, the youngest player in Algeria history at 20, missed at the 10′ mark as well, sending a right-foot attempt too high from outside the box.
There were also moments that never made the scoreboard. At the 32′ mark, Rafik Belghali’s attempt from the right side of the box missed to the left. At 36′, Maza again had a chance to tie but came up empty. Later, Marko Arnautovic had an opportunity at the 30′ mark that didn’t count because he was offsides.
Discipline played its part too. Arnautovic received the first yellow card of the match at the 11′ mark after a foul on Algeria’s Aissa Mandi, who was awarded a free kick in the defensive half.
As the game unfolded, both teams had been preparing for a simple truth: a win meant second place in the group, a draw meant both teams moved on, and a loss meant going home.
The match also carried lineup specificity that framed the stakes. Algeria started in a 4-2-3-1 formation under head coach Vladimir Petkovic, with Riyad Mahrez named captain. The starting XI listed Oussama Benbot as goalkeeper. Aissa Mandi. Jaouen Hadjam. Rafik Belghali. and Ramy Bensebaini as defenders. Houssem Aouar. Fares Chaibi. Nabil Bentaleb. and Ibrahim Maza in midfield. and Riyad Mahrez and Amine Gouiri in attack.
Austria. coached by Ralf Rangnick with Marcel Sabitzer and Romano Schmid among the midfield options. also lined up in a 4-2-3-1. Alexander Schlager started in goal. with Stefan Posch. David Alaba. Philipp Lienhart. and Phillip Mwene in defense. Xaver Schlager. Nicolas Seiwald. Marcel Sabitzer. Romano Schmid. and Konrad Laimer in midfield. and Marko Arnautovic as the lone attacker. Alaba was again involved in the key early goal.
Outside the pitch, the matchup was set for a prime-time kickoff in the U.S. at 10:00 p.m. ET, broadcast on FS1, with options including Fubo and the Fox One App. Spanish-language broadcasts were available on Telemundo and Peacock.
The day’s predictions reflected the tightrope both teams were walking. Seth Vertelney picked Algeria 0-0 Austria; Jon Arnold forecast Algeria 1-1 Austria; Jesse Yomtov chose Algeria 2-0 Austria; Victoria Hernandez predicted Algeria 2-2 Austria.
When the final whistle arrived, it was the worst possible kind of relief—one that comes with advancement, but not the clean ending either team would have wanted.
Austria and Algeria both reached the round of 32, but only after a finish that kept the group picture alive until the 96th minute.
Algeria Austria World Cup June 27 Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City Riyad Mahrez Sasa Kalajdzic Michael Gregoritsch Marko Arnautovic David Alaba Houssem Aouar Group J round of 32