Algeria and Austria draw 3-3 in dramatic World Cup finale

Riyad Mahrez appeared to have rewritten the Group J bracket in Algeria’s favor at Kansas City Stadium, only for Saša Kalajdžić to tear it up two minutes later. Algeria and Austria finished 3-3 on June 28, 2026, in Kansas City, a result that sent both teams into the Round of 32 after a finish that kept qualification alive until the last touch.

The swing was ruthless. Marko Arnautović put Austria ahead in the 28th minute, Belghali equalized for Algeria in the 41st, and Marcel Sabitzer restored Austria’s lead in the 55th. Mahrez answered in the 60th, then struck again in the third minute of added time, 90+3, to make it 3-2 and put Algeria on the verge of eliminating Austria from the tournament.

For a brief stretch, the math looked settled. Algeria had the lead, Austria were on the edge, and the stoppage-time goal seemed to leave only the final whistle between one side and the knockout rounds. Instead, Kalajdžić found the equalizer in the fifth minute of added time, 90+5, turning what looked like a decisive finish into a shared escape route for both nations.

FIFA’s match report listed the full sequence as Algeria 3-3 Austria, with goals from Belghali at 41, Mahrez at 60 and 90+3, Arnautović at 28, Sabitzer at 55 and Kalajdžić at 90+5. The match was the 69th of the first stage, and its result left Group J open until the final seconds before confirming that Algeria and Austria both moved on to the Round of 32.

The late exchange gave the game its sharpest edge: one moment Algeria had the bracket in its hands, the next Austria had pulled itself back from the brink. In a tournament where every goal changes the path ahead, this one changed it twice.