Spain set to face Austria in World Cup 2026 round of 32

Spain entered the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as leaders of Group H, collecting seven points, scoring five goals and keeping three clean sheets. On 2 July, the Spanish side will meet Austria – the second‑placed team from Group J – at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The match is scheduled for 21:00 CET (12:00 local time) and will be shown on TVE La 1 and streamed via RTVE Play in Spain.

Ahead of the encounter, Luis de la Fuente announced that three regular starters – Fabián Ruiz, Marcos Llorente and Mikel Merino – are unlikely to start, favouring Pedri, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal in the midfield and attack. Analysts rate Spain as the clear favourite, with betting odds around 1.31 for a Spanish win and predictions of a 2‑0 result. Austria secured their place after a dramatic 3‑3 draw with Algeria, and will look to upset the European champions.

The two nations have met 16 times historically, including a single World Cup meeting in 1978 won by Austria.