Spain, one of the FIFA World Cup 2026 title favourites, will hope to put up a more dominant performance when they lock horns with Austria in their FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 match at the Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday.
The La Roja have endured a mixed FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign so far. Spain were held to a 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde despite entering the match as clear favourites.
Luis de la Fuente’s side failed to find that clinical edge in the final third despite enjoying 74% possession of the ball. Spain launched a total of 27 shots during that match, with only seven shots on target.
The 0-0 draw was followed by a thumping 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, before clinching a narrow 1-0 win over Uruguay. Austria, on the other hand, began their campaign with a 3-1 win over Jordan, before losing 2-0 to defending champions Argentina.
That was followed by an intense match against Algeria that ended in a 3-3 draw. Australia took the lead on two occasions, but they just weren’t able to seal all three points from the match. Despite that, Austria earned a crucial point, which was enough for them to qualify for the round of 32 stage as group runners-up with four points.
Spain vs Austria match details
Spain vs Austria head to head
Spain and Austria have locked horns in 16 international matches prior to this. Spain enjoy a superior record, having won nine matches compared to Austria’s four wins. Three matches have ended in draws.
The most recent encounter between these two teams was in November 2009, when Spain clinched a 5-1 win in an international friendly.
Spain vs Austria team news
Spain: The biggest team news for Spain is that Lamine Yamal has recovered from a hamstring issue that limited him to just 141 minutes in the group stage, and is now available again. Yeremy Pino and Victor Munoz, who were injured as well, are also available.
Austria: Austria will be without defender Phillipp Mwene due to an injury. Captain David Alaba, who has been battling long-term fitness issues, is yet to play the full 90 minutes at this World Cup, but is set to start again in the Spain clash.
Spain vs Austria prediction
According to the Opta supercomputer, Spain are heavy favourites to beat Austria, with a 70.6% chance of winning. Austria only have a 12.2 % chance of beating Spain, whereas there is a 17.3% chance that the match ends in a draw and extra time follows.
Where to watch Spain vs Austria live on TV?
Spain vs Austria predicted starting XIs
Spain: Simón; Llorente, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal.
Austria: Schlager; Posch, Alaba, Wober, Lienhart; Seiwald, X. Schlager; Laimer, Sabitzer, Schmid; Arnautovic.
Get all updates from FIFA World Cup 2026 here, along with FIFA World Cup 2026 Complete Schedule and FIFA World Cup 2026 Points Table.