Austria, Algeria deny collusion suspicion to advance at World Cup 2026
Coaches Ralf Rangnick (Austria) and Vladimir Petkovic (Algeria) deny allegations they deliberately drew 3-3 in final Group J match to enter round of 32 World Cup 2026.
Scorewise, match at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA on June 27 was dramatic. Austria led twice via Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer, but Algeria quickly equalized through Rafik Belghali and Riyad Mahrez.
Last 30 minutes, both teams played slowly, created few clear attacks. Crowd booed, many left early. Climax came in stoppage time. Mahrez put Algeria ahead in third minute of added time, but three minutes later, Austria equalized 3-3 via Sasa Kalajdzic.
Marko Arnautovic (red shirt) celebrates goal in Austria 3-3 Algeria draw in final Group J match, World Cup 2026 at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA on June 27, 2026. Photo: AP
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3-3 result helped Austria and Algeria reach 4 points, advancing together. In round of 32, Austria - second in Group J - face Spain on July 2. Meanwhile, Algeria is one of eight best third-placed teams and face Switzerland.
After match, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick asserted no secret agreement existed between teams. "When match ends 3-3, no one can think of match-fixing, especially with what happened in last 90 seconds," former Man Utd manager said.
67-year-old manager admitted never witnessing similar match in career, noted team dressing room was noisy after match.
*Austria score opening goal.
Opposite side, coach Vladimir Petkovic also denied Algeria intentionally played for draw. He asserted initial goal was victory, suggesting game slowdown for 15 minutes was due to teams playing cautiously and limiting mistakes. 62-year-old coach emphasized this was not lack of determination, but tactical adjustment to match developments.
World Cup 2026 with 48 teams creates more opportunities for teams to make history, but also reveals loopholes in securing spots through third-place finishes.
*Austria seal 3-3 draw.
Draw recalls similar incident at World Cup 1982, when Austria and West Germany allegedly lacked effort to advance together, eliminating Algeria.
Decisive match occurred June 25, 1982 at El Molinon stadium in Gijón, between West Germany and Austria. West Germany scored early in 10th minute via Horst Hrubesch. From then, match lost competitive edge. Teams mostly passed ball back and forth safely, with almost no notable attacks.
1-0 result helped West Germany and Austria reach 4 points to qualify, while Algeria was eliminated. Algeria had same points but lost on tiebreakers. Controversy lay in European teams accepting mutually beneficial scoreline, especially after knowing group standings.
Immediately after match, crowd booed fiercely. International media called it one of most damaging matches to World Cup image. Event was dubbed "Disgrace of Gijón", becoming symbol of negative tactical calculations in elite sports.
Consequences lasted for many World Cups. FIFA changed regulations, requiring final group matches to play simultaneously, minimizing teams knowing results beforehand to choose favorable tactics.
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