37-Year-Old Sub Gets His First World Cup Goal — and a 102nd-Minute Penalty Saves Austria’s Return

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For 21 years, Austria waited to play another World Cup match. And for about 95 minutes on Wednesday, it looked like their long-awaited return might end in embarrassment against a team making its debut on the sport’s biggest stage.

Instead, a 37-year-old striker who wasn’t even supposed to start delivered a performance that will be remembered in Vienna — and in Amman — for a long time.

Marko Arnautovic entered at halftime with his team trailing 1-0. He left as the difference-maker in a 3-1 win that felt far closer than the final score suggests. The veteran forward, Austria’s all-time leading scorer, converted a penalty in the 12th minute of stoppage time to finally put away a stubborn Jordan side that had stunned everyone by punching first.

Jordan Makes History — and Almost Steals a Point

Ali Olwan wrote his name into the record books in the 50th minute, scoring Jordan’s first-ever World Cup goal. The forward latched onto a counter-attacking pass from Noor Al-Rawabdeh, drove into the box, and clipped a right-footed shot off the inside of the post and into the net. The small but vocal Jordanian contingent inside Levi’s Stadium erupted.

It wasn’t a fluke, either. Olwan had already rattled the crossbar from a corner in the first half and forced a sharp save from Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager just before the break. Even after his historic goal, he kept causing problems — beating his marker in the 56th minute before David Alaba slid in to block his shot.

Jordan’s defensive discipline and fast transitions had Austria frustrated for long stretches. The debutants looked anything but nervous.

The Arnautovic Effect

Austria’s first-half struggles centered on Sasa Kalajdzic, who started as the target man but lost virtually every aerial duel despite standing two meters tall. The striker offered little in hold-up play, and a speculative long-range effort that sailed over the bar in first-half stoppage time summed up his afternoon. He was pulled at halftime.

Arnautovic changed everything within minutes. His movement immediately gave Jordan’s backline problems. He had a goal disallowed after a VAR review for Stefan Posch’s handball in the buildup, and forced a strong save from Yazeed Abulaila in the 92nd minute. That persistence paid off when Saleem Obaid blocked his shot with an arm in the box, earning the decisive penalty.

With the game in the 102nd minute, Arnautovic sent Abulaila the wrong way and fired low into the left corner — his first World Cup goal at age 37, and the moment that finally let Austria breathe.

An own goal from Jordan had briefly leveled the match before the late drama, but make no mistake: This was Arnautovic’s night. Austria’s first World Cup match since 1998 could have been a disaster. Instead, it became a testament to experience and refusal to quit.

For Jordan, the consolation is real. They announced themselves on the world stage and pushed a European side to the absolute limit. For Austria, the relief is palpable — but the performance raised questions they’ll need to answer before facing tougher opponents.