Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Austria and Faroe Islands take on each other in a David-vs-Goliath clash at Ernst Happel Stadion on Sunday evening. The Austrians shared the spoils with Scotland in the opening match of their World Cup qualifying campaign, with Stuttgart attacker Sasa Kalajdzic scoring a brace. The Bundesliga rising star has been producing excellent displays in Marko Arnautovic’s absence, and we predict that he is going to prove a handful for the opposition defenders.
The minnows, on the other hand, came from behind to share the spoils with Moldova in their last league match. Faroe Islands failed to win the previous four games in all competitions, and we do not believe that they are capable of shocking Austria in Wien. Experienced defender Odmar Faero is unlikely to feature in Sunday’s clash after suffering an injury in the draw with Moldova. In the previous meeting between the two national teams Austria outplayed Faroe Islands 3-0.
Highlighted Player (Christian Fuchs):
Christian Fuchs is an Austrian defender born on 7th April 1986, who has gone on to become one of the most famous footballers in history of the national team. The left back played for Wiener Neustadt and SV Mattersburg on domestic stage before securing a high-profile move to Bochum in the summer of 2008. Fuchs played for VFL Bochum, Mainz and Schalke in Germany, putting in some strong showings, but it was a free transfer to then Premier League strugglers Leicester City that would make him a household name.
The left-sided defender played an important role in the club’s transition from relegation strugglers to genuine title contenders, earning worldwide praise for his performances on the left hand side. Very strong in defensive tasks and possessing an excellent left foot, Fuchs has contributed to quite a few goals his teammates have scored over the years, and he has also become an indispensable member of the Austria national team that secured their place at the Euro 2016 finals in France in style, earning over 70 caps in the process.
Highlighted Team (Faroe Islands):
Faroe Islands gained membership of FIFA on July 2, 1988 and they played their first official game on August 24 against Iceland. They were beaten by the Icelanders in Akranes, but two years later they recorded probably the most significant victory in the history of the national team as they defeated Austria 1-0 in Euro 1992 qualifiers.
Faroe Islands have yet to qualify for a major tournament, but they have been making progress year by year. The Landsliðið play their home games at Torsvollur and the capacity of the venue is 6.000. Faroe Islands recorded their biggest win against Gibraltar on March 1, 2014 (4-1) and they suffered their biggest defeat in 1996 when they were beaten 8-1 by Yugoslavia in front of home fans.
In the 2016 European Championship qualifiers Faroe Islands recorded a double victory over Greece, but the minnows eventually failed to book their place at the showpiece tournament in France. The likes of Frodi Benjaminsen, Oli Johannesen, Rogvi Jacobsen, Todi Jonsson and Jakup Mikkelsen are the most notable footballers who played for the Faroe Islands national team.