Arnautović Breaks Two Austrian Records

Forward Marko Arnautović shattered two Austrian football records in his World Cup debut, scoring in the 3-1 victory over Jordan in their opening Group J match of the 2026 World Cup. The 37-year-old Arnautović came on as a substitute at halftime for Saša Kalajdžić, marking his record 134th appearance for the national team. Later, he converted a penalty to also break the record for most goals scored for the Austrian national side, reaching 48.  

"I'm incredibly happy, especially about the win. Of course, I'm pleased with my goal, but for me, the team always comes first. The lads gave their all. Initially, we looked a bit nervous, but by the end, we dominated and deserved the victory. For me, personal records don't matter as much. I want to perform at my best throughout the tournament and help the team. Being on the bench isn't the best feeling, but I'm here and ready to contribute whenever needed. Saša Kalajdžić deserved to start, but I'm happy with my current form. The feeling of being in this stadium was amazing yesterday, and today it's even more extraordinary," said the 37-year-old striker on Austrian television ORF.

Romano Schmid opened the scoring against Jordan with a precise shot from the edge of the box midway through the first half. Subsequently, he and Arnautović became the first two Austrian players since Ivica Vastić to score in both World Cup and European Championship finals. Vastić scored in a 1-1 draw against Chile at the 1998 World Cup and in a 1-1 draw against Poland at Euro 2008. Arnautović has a goal in each of the last two continental championships, while Schmid found the net in Austria's 3-2 loss to the Netherlands at Euro 2024.

"Few players have scored in both World Cup and European Championship finals, so I'm proud of myself. But football is a team sport, and I'm even happier about the win. The match was very, very tough. They allowed us a lot of possession and waited for counter-attacks. Our next game against Argentina will be completely different. They love to have the ball and aim to control it for as long as possible. We definitely need to improve our control because we made some mistakes that led to dangerous situations, including their equalizer. However, we proved we can play football in the last quarter of the match. We just need to show it for a longer period," Schmid commented.