After finishing top of group H, Spain will meet Austria in the round 32 on Thursday evening in Los Angeles. Although Spain will be the favourites, Austria, who are managed by Ralf Rangnick, will be a tough opponent.

Spain finished top of the group on seven points after beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, as well as drawing against newcomers Cape Verde. In their first three games, Spain have not conceded a single goal and they have scored five, with four coming against Saudi Arabia.

Their opponents Austria finished in second place in group J after a dramatic 3-3 draw in their final match against Algeria, with Sasa Kalajdzic scoring in the 96 minute to book their place in the next round.

'Das Team' also picked up a win against Jordan, but lost 2-0 to Lionel Messi‘s Argentina. This European clash is hard to call but it would definitely be an upset if Austria managed to take down the tournament favourites.

Rangnick’s side will be confident in their style of football, but the momentum is with Spain after two consecutive wins and more minutes built up for their star players, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.

The last knockout match that Spain won at a World Cup was the 2010 final. Since then, they have been knocked out in the group in 2014 and lost in the round of 16 in both 2018 and 2022. They will be hoping to change their fortunes this time around.

Spain confirmed their place in the knockout rounds after defeating an underwhelming Uruguay team, knocking them out of the World Cup in the process. Alex Baena’s first-half goal was the difference between the two sides and Spain managed to hold onto their 1-0 lead despite pressure from La Celeste late on.

This capped off a professional group stage from the Spaniards. Although they weren't always at their best, they advanced unbeaten and have begun to build their confidence again after a disappointing opener against Cape Verde - who also advanced and are due to face Argentina next.

Despite Uruguay’s efforts, Spain proved to be too much for the South Americans. Luis de la Fuente's side possesses an abundance of quality, particularly in midfield and attack, which makes them difficult for any side to defend against.

Austria's road to the knockouts was less plain sailing, but it did not lack entertainment. They kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 win over Jordan before falling victim to Lionel Messi's brilliance in the following match. Argentina’s little magician broke the record for the most World Cup goals in that game and put in a fantastic performance which should not reflect too badly on Austria.  

Austria final group match came against Algeria. Argentina and Jordan were both already confirmed to finish top and bottom of the group so the fate of group J rested solely on this matchup. The game did not disappoint and the score was 2-2 heading into injury time. This result would have seen both Algeria and Austria advance to the round of 32 on four points each. However, it looked like Riyadh Mahrez had snatched the lead for Algeria in the 93rd minute, knocking Austria out.

Then unbelievably, the Austrians levelled up the score in the dying moments to keep their World Cup dream alive. This sheer resilience and passion has got them to this point and they mustn’t be underestimated against Spain.

Throughout the first three matches, Lamine Yamal has began to feature more and more. Luis de la Fuente has been cautious with the 18-year-old after a hamstring injury, but he seems to be fully fit now after paying 76 minutes against Uruguay. His partner in crime Nico Williams has also built up his minutes but seems to be slightly behind the Barcelona star. Alex Baena scored the decisive goal in the last match so is expected to keep his place in the team.

The player accompanying Pedri and Rodri in midfield has changed each time in Spain's three matches. Fabian Ruiz started against Cape Verde and has featured regularly during this tournament. Dani Olmo was chosen to start against Saudi Arabia and then Mikel Merino was the third midfielder against Uruguay. With Austria being a different kind of opponent, Luis de la Fuente could switch that player once more. It will be interesting to see whether he goes with a more possession-based approach with Fabian Ruiz, or if he chooses Dani Olmo for a more attacking threat.

Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer are the two standout players in the Austria team. Former Stoke city and Inter Milan striker Marco Arnautovic could lead the line for Das Team, and veteran defender David Alaba will captain them. The team is predominantly made up of Bundesliga players as well as some former Premier League names. Ex-Manchester United Interim Head Coach Ralf Rangnick is in charge of the team and will look to play exciting and intense football.  

For Spain, Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino both picked up injuries during the last match after making appearances from the bench. They are both expected to miss this fixture but could be available later for Spain if they are to advance. David Alaba and Marco Arnautovic were both substituted against Algeria due to picking up slight knocks but should both be fit for this round of 32 fixture.

Spain 3-1 Austria

The World Cup 2026 has already seen some huge upsets in the new round of 32. For example, Germany and the Netherlands have both been eliminated already. Austria's group campaign was very mixed, which makes it hard to predict how they will perform in this match.

There have been some very entertaining round of 32 fixtures so far and this game could certainly be another. Austria will be a different opponent to the likes of Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, which could suit Spain better. The game could be more open, which will give Spain's attacking players, like Yamal, more space to show their quality.

However, with their composure and comfort on the ball, Spain usually dominate possession. It is hard to see it being any different in this match which can give Spain the upper hand. The tournament favourites will be hoping to bring an end to their curse in World Cup knockout football and Austria will want to be the ones to keep it going.

Both sides have obvious quality, but Spain are the favourites for a reason. I think we will see the best of Spain now in the knockout stages and my prediction is that they will overcome Austria to advance to the round of 16. This game could see more goals and Spain could potentially concede their first goal at this tournament. I think Yamal will score again, and it will be just a step too far for Austria, similar to their match against Argentina.