First Touch ’26 - Austria

Once home to the “Wunderteam” and the legendary Matthias Sindelar, Austria’s greatest football tales used to live in black and white.

In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass connects that glorious past: 1930s brilliance, a 1954 semifinal run, and the “Miracle of Córdoba” win over West Germany, to a modern side finally returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. We explore how Ralf Rangnick, the godfather of gegenpressing and long-time Red Bull architect, has transformed Das Team into a high-energy, front-foot pressing machine that routinely punches above its weight in Europe.

With veteran stars David Alaba and Marko Arnautović still central, a growing supporting cast from top clubs, and midfield engine Nicolas Seiwald embodying Austria’s relentless style, this is a team nobody will enjoy facing in North America. The days of Austrian football being just a historical curiosity are over.