Austria vs Jordan

Austria made a confident return to the World Cup stage after 28 years, beating debutants Jordan 3-1 in Group J at Santa Clara, with Marko Arnautovic's stoppage-time penalty providing the final flourish on a dramatic evening. Romano Schmid broke the deadlock on 21 minutes with a precisely curled finish into the far corner. Jordan levelled through Ali Olwan on 50 minutes, a moment of genuine quality that gave the first-time World Cup participants real belief. Austria retook the lead on 67 minutes when Yazan Al Arab diverted a corner into his own net. Arnautovic's immediate follow-up was ruled out for a Stefan Posch handball in the buildup, but the striker had the last laugh, burying a penalty deep in injury time to seal it. The result puts Austria in a strong early position in Group J as they target the knockout rounds for the first time in decades. Jordan can take some consolation from Olwan's strike, their nation's first-ever World Cup goal, but face a difficult road back.