A place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 is up for grabs as Spain face Austria in an exciting knockout clash. Spain progressed as group winners with another impressive campaign, while Austria produced one of the tournament's most dramatic qualification stories to keep their World Cup dream alive.
Spain collected seven points under Luis de la Fuente, recovering from a 1-1 draw with Iraq to defeat their remaining opponents and finish the group stage with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay.
Their possession-oriented approach has made them one of the standout teams in the competition. Austria, led by Ralf Rangnick, advanced to the knockout rounds for the first time since 1954 after battling to a dramatic 3-3 draw against Algeria, with Saša Kalajdžić scoring a crucial stoppage-time equaliser to secure qualification.
Read our Spain vs Austria prediction before staking your money.
Spain vs Austria prediction for the 2026 World Cup
It is do or die. That is exactly why the prediction below zeroes in on the strongest bet for this knockout World Cup tie.
Here is our pick:
Spain Win To Nil
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, Spain is tipped to come out on top, with 74% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
Spain vs Austria: head-to-head
Spain and Austria share no recent head-to-head record, so this is effectively their first meeting in years.
Spain at the 2026 World Cup
Spain arrive having already played 3 match(es) at the 2026 World Cup. Here is the record for Spain National Team:
At the World Cup:
2 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 0 loss(es)
2.33 point(s) per game on average
5 goals scored at the World Cup (1.67 per game)
0 goals conceded at the World Cup (0 per game)
Spain National Team in 2026
9 win(s), 4 draw(s) and 0 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Mikel Merino with 6 goal(s)
Most assists: Mikel Oyarzabal with 4
Austria at the 2026 World Cup
Austria go into this tie with 3 match(es) already behind them at the 2026 World Cup.
Here is what Austria National Team have managed so far:
At the World Cup
1 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
1.33 point(s) per game on average
6 goals scored at the World Cup (2 per game)
6 goals conceded at the World Cup (2 per game)
Austria National Team in 2026
10 win(s), 2 draw(s) and 2 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Marko Arnautović with 8 goal(s)
Most assists: Marcel Sabitzer with 3
Spain vs Austria statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
Spain
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | W W D W D |
2.2 |
| Home | W D D D W |
1.8 |
| Away | W W W W W |
3 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 67% | 50% | 100% |
| Goals | 1.67 | 2 | 1 |
| Scored | 1.67 | 2 | 1 |
| Conceded | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Both Teams to Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Without Conceding | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 50% | 0% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 50% | 100% |
|
xG
|
2.16 | 2.88 | 0.73 |
|
xGA
|
0.55 | 0.48 | 0.7 |
Austria
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | D L W W W |
2 |
| Home | W W W W D |
2.6 |
| Away | D L W L W |
1.4 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 33% | 100% | 0% |
| Goals | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Scored | 2 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Conceded | 2 | 1 | 2.5 |
| Both Teams to Score | 67% | 100% | 50% |
| Without Conceding | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 0% | 50% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 100% | 50% |
|
xG
|
1.13 | 1.39 | 1.01 |
|
xGA
|
1.36 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
Spain vs Austria probable lineups
See the likely starting eleven below for our Spain vs Austria prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
Spain Probable XI: Unai Simón, Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Grimaldo, Rodri, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal.
Austria Probable XI: Patrick Pentz, Stefan Posch, Kevin Danso, David Alaba, Phillipp Mwene, Konrad Laimer, Nicolas Seiwald, Patrick Wimmer, Christoph Baumgartner, Marcel Sabitzer, Marko Arnautović.
The confirmed lineups will be available close to the kickoff time.
How to watch Spain vs Austria live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch Spain vs Austria live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 20:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for Spain vs Austria:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: Spain vs Austria
🆚 Fixture Spain vs Austria
🏆 Tournament 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date Thursday, 02/07/2026
🕐 Kick-off 20:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium)
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Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.