Austria vs South Korea
Austria and South Korea plan to build momentum ahead of this summer’s World Cup, and these two sides will compete in an International Friendly game on Tuesday at the Ernst Happel-Stadion in Vienna. The hosts are coming off a 5-1 thrashing of Ghana, while the visitors will play the Ivory Coast tonight before flying to Austria.
Austria qualified for this year’s World Cup after topping Group H of the UEFA qualifiers with 19 points. This is Das Team’s first appearance in the finals after 28 years, and they’re bunched with Algeria, Jordan, and defending champions Argentina in Group J.
South Korea have also booked their World Cup tickets after taking the top spot in Group B (alongside Jordan) during the second round of the AFC qualifiers, marking their 11th consecutive appearance in the finals.
SBOTOP football fans can expect to get their usual dose of International Friendly 2026 highlights from this fixture, as per the International Friendly 2026 odds.
Talking Points
Austria continue to buy into Rangnick
Austria’s 5-1 whacking of Ghana perfectly encapsulates how Ralf Rangnick wants his teams to play. Rangnick has always been a proponent of controlling possession and applying the Gegenpress whenever they lose the ball. Rangnick’s men punished every lapse in Ghana’s defensive shape and looked every bit like a side ready to make noise in the World Cup.
Marcel Sabitzer opened the scoring after he converted his penalty, following a handball. Austria seized control in the second half, as Michael Gregoritsch, Stefan Posch, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Nicolas Seiwald scored four more goals, putting the game beyond doubt, handing Ghana their worst defeat in nearly two decades. Jordan Ayew’s 77th-minute score prevented a shutout loss for the Black Stars.
It was a solid first cap for Chukwuemeka, who switched allegiances (alongside Paul Wanner) recently. The 22-year-old is another weapon Rangnick could use, as he can play as an attacking midfielder or as a winger. The same can be said for Wanner, who made a positive cameo off the bench last night.
Austria’s squad remains intact with Alexander Schlager between the sticks, with David Alaba, Phillipp Mwene, Marco Friedl, Kevin Danso, and Phillipp Leinhart guarding the backline. Besides Chukwuemeka and Sabitzer, Das Team also have Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Patrick Wimmer, Konrad Laimer, and Christoph Baumgartner in the middle. Marko Arnautovic – Austria’s all-time leading scorer at 47 goals and 131 caps – could start after coming off the bench against the Black Stars, with Michael Gregoritsch and Sasa Kalajdzic as his strike partners.
South Korea talisman eager to end his drought
South Korea’s main focus this international break is to re-establish their attacking rhythm. The Taeguk Warriors must address Heung-Min Son’s goal drought fast, as he has failed to score in eight matches for LAFC since netting a penalty in their opening game, though he has recorded six assists for the Major League Soccer side this term.
Austria will certainly key in on Son this Tuesday, which might prompt head coach Hong Myung-Bo to tinker with his formation. He might need to consider having either Cho Gue-Sung or Oh Hyeon-Gyu alongside the LAFC star up front in the final third.
Furthermore, South Korea’s midfield depth is a concern, as Hwang In-Beom and Lee Kang-In are not fit. The Taeguk Warriors could mix and match with Kim Jin -Kyu, Lee Jae-Sung, Park Jin-Seob, Bae Jun-Ho, or Paik Seung-Ho.
History
Tuesday marks the first-ever competitive encounter between Austria and South Korea.
Austria have had a remarkable turnaround since appointing Ralf Rangnick as their head coach in 2022. Under the former Manchester United interim manager, Das Team qualified for Euro 2024, where they reached the Round of 16, eventually losing 2-1 to Turkey, before qualifying for this summer’s World Cup. Their 5-1 win against Ghana yesterday was their second-biggest win under Rangnick, following their 10-goal demolition of San Marino last October. Austria’s last match against an Asian team was a goalless draw against Japan in 2007.
Hong Myung-Bo is in his second stint as South Korea’s head coach, and the Taeguk Warriors are fresh from a 1-0 win against Ghana in their last exhibition game last November. South Korea’s last match against a European side was a goalless draw against Wales back in 2023.
As noted, Austria are back in the World Cup after 28 years of missing out, while South Korea are regulars since 1986. Austria’s best finish in the showpiece event was third in 1954, while South Korea’s best finish was fourth in 2002 on home soil.
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