Our prediction for this World Cup 2026 match:
Austria
Match Time & Date:
07/06/2025
20:45
Prediction: 3-1
Romania
Austria and Romania square off against each other at Ernst Happel Stadion in what is expected to be one of the most entertaining games of Saturday’s program. Austria are seen as hot favourites to win this qualifier, but Marko Arnautovic and Co. will have to prove their worth on the field. Gernot Trauner is banned for the match, fellow defender David Alaba remains in the recovery room.
The Tricolori, on the other hand, hammered San Marino 5-1 in their second group game, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry in Wien. As over the years Austria have turned their Ernst Happel Stadion into a real fortress, we predict that the visitors are going to return home with their hands empty. In their last meeting in a competitive match (Nations League, 2020), Austria defeated Romania 1-0 and we predict that history is going to repeat. A man to watch in the away team will be Marius Marin, who helped Pisa secure the Serie A survival.
Highlighted Player (Marko Arnautovic):
An Austrian footballer born on 19 April 1986, Marko Arnautovic represented a number of Austrian top sides on youth level, but it was at Twente that his professional career began. The winger needed a while to nail down a regular starting berth, but he impressed in his first full season to score 12 Eredivisie goals and earn a lucrative move to Inter Milan.
The unprofessional behaviour seriously cut short his stay at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but the highly rated footballer was able to kick start his career at Werder Bremen. The successful spell in Bundesliga saw him secure a move to Stoke City, where he has played his best football up to date.
A powerful footballer capable of scoring from distance, Arnautovic is able to operate as a winger, centre forward or attacking midfielder, and he has also impressed playing for the Austria national team. The forward scored 3 goals in the qualifying campaign to help Das Team qualify for the Euro 2016 finals, taking his total goal tally past 10 strikes.
Highlighted Team (Romania):
Romania were one of just four European sides to take part at the first ever World Cup in 1930, and the team have since achieved respectable results on the international stage, albeit failing to challenge for major trophies.
Led by arguably their best ever footballer Gheorghe Hagi, the Tricolorii narrowly missed out on the semi-finals at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, losing to Sweden on penalties. Romania made a total of seven appearances at the World Cup finals, while qualifying for five European Championship tournaments. The Tricolorii went the farthest in 2000, when they were eliminated by Italy in the quarter-finals.
Tied at the top of the goalscoring charts, Gheorghe Hagi and Adrian Mutu are the only two Romanian footballers to have gained worldwide recognition, but Dorinel Munteanu, Dan Petrescu, Gheorghe Popescu and Viorel Moldovan are also worth mention. Romania play their home games at the Arena National in Bucarest.
Germany
Portugal
Spain
France
Ecuador
Brazil
Chile
Argentina
Norway
Italy
Colombia
Peru
