Luis de la Fuente Faces Growing Injury Concerns Ahead of Spain vs Austria ClashWith Yeremy Pino and Nico Williams both sidelined through injury, Luis de la Fuente is facing an increasingly difficult squad situation. Spain will take on Austria in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32, a side that is by no means significantly inferior in quality. This is unlikely to be an easy test for La Furia Roja.
- Spain have yet to concede a goal at the FIFA World Cup
- Yeremy Pino and Nico Williams will both miss the match due to injury
- Austria have already conceded six goals in three World Cup matches
Spain vs Austria Prediction
Considering the attacking talent at their disposal, Spain have not been particularly prolific at this year's World Cup. The biggest issue for Luis de la Fuente's side has been their finishing. Ferran Torres has struggled to find his scoring touch, while Lamine Yamal is only just returning from injury and clearly isn't back to his best yet.
Our Pick: Under 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.98 (-102)
We expect this to be a tightly contested match rather than an open, end-to-end encounter. Austria are unlikely to attack aggressively and will instead look to stay compact and wait for opportunities to hit Spain on the counterattack.
| Date and timeKick-off: | 3:00 PM ET (USA) / 8:00 PM CEST |
| Broadcast | Check on FIFA official site |
| Odds on Spain to win | 1.33 (-303) |
| Odds on Austria to win |
10.00 (+900) |
Spain vs Austria Betting Odds
The gap between the odds for the two teams is enormous. Spain are priced at just 1.33 (-303) to win, which clearly shows that bookmakers see very little chance of any outcome other than a La Furia Roja victory. Austria are available at odds of 10.00 (+900), while the draw is priced between 5.10 and 5.30 (+410 to +430).
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Predicted Lineups
As already mentioned, Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino will definitely miss the match through injury. Spain's starting XI is expected to be very similar to the team that took the field against Uruguay. There are considerably more question marks surrounding Austria's starting lineup.
- Spain: Simon – Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella – Pedri, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena – Oyarzabal
- Austria: A. Schlager – Posch, Lienhart, Alaba, Mwene – Seiwald, X. Schlager, Laimer, Schmid, Sabitzer – Arnautovic
Recent Results
Spain began their World Cup campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. Things improved afterward, as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia before edging Uruguay 1-0. Austria, meanwhile, defeated Jordan 3-1 before suffering a 2-0 loss to Argentina. Their most recent match ended in an entertaining 3-3 draw with Algeria.
Spain – Last Five Matches
27.06.2026 – Uruguay 0:1 Spain (FIFA World Cup)
21.06.2026 – Spain 4:0 Saudi Arabia (FIFA World Cup)
15.06.2026 – Spain 0:0 Cape Verde (FIFA World Cup)
09.06.2026 – Peru 1:3 Spain (Friendly)
04.06.2026 – Spain 1:1 Iraq (Friendly)
Austria – Last Five Matches
28.06.2026 – Algeria 3:3 Austria (FIFA World Cup)
22.06.2026 – Argentina 2:0 Austria (FIFA World Cup)
17.06.2026 – Austria 3:1 Jordan (FIFA World Cup)
01.06.2026 – Austria 1:0 Tunisia (Friendly)
31.03.2026 – Austria 1:0 South Korea (Friendly)
Spain vs Austria at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Preview
Despite their injury problems and lack of clinical finishing, Spain still possess enough quality to be considered one of the leading contenders to win the FIFA World Cup. However, they have plenty to prove against Austria. Their opponents have significantly less individual quality and are expected to sit deep and defend for long periods. Much could depend on moments of brilliance from players such as Lamine Yamal or Dani Olmo.
Broadcast Information
Spain take on Austria on Thursday, July 2, with kick-off scheduled for 3:00 PM ET (USA) / 8:00 PM CEST. Broadcast availability depends on your country. You can find the official list of broadcasters on the FIFA website. The match will be refereed by Glenn Nyberg of Sweden.