Austria beats Jordan 3-1 for its first World Cup win in 36 years

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Austria won a World Cup game for the first time in 36 years with a 3-1 victory Tuesday over a Jordan team on debut at soccer’s premier global event.

An own goal from a corner kick that deflected off Jordanian defender Yazan Al Arab gave Austria a 2-1 lead in the 76th minute. Veteran striker Marko Arnautovic’s penalty kick deep in stoppage team extended the margin.

“This was a very intense evening, sometimes a little too intense,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said. “Jordan did an amazing job and made it very difficult for us. At the end of the day, we deserved to win but it was very difficult.”

The Group J game between a Jordanian team at the World Cup for the first time and an Austria squad back on soccer's biggest stage after missing the last six tournaments featured plenty of excitement.

It peaked in a stretch in the second half that featured an equalizer by Jordan and two balls sent into the net off corner kicks by Austria — with only one of those counting.

The 37-year-old Arnautovic had appeared to give Austria the lead when he fired in after a misplay by Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila. But the decision went to a VAR review and the referee called a hand ball on Stefan Posch in the lead up.

Austria got another corner kick shortly after the second-half hydration break and the took a 2-1 lead on Al Arab's own goal.

That proved to be the difference for Austria, which earned its first win at the World Cup since beating the United States in a group-stage match in 1990. Jordan fell short in its attempt to become the first country to win its World Cup debut game since Senegal did it in 2002 against defending-champion France.

“No one was expecting us to be that bold, to be that proactive and to be that capable of benefiting from the available opportunities,” Jordan coach Jamal Sellami said. “This was exactly the message we wanted to convey.”

Romano Schmid scored in the 20th minute for Austria when he capped off an impressive buildup that put the Jordanian defense on its heels. Xaver Schlager fed a pass to Schmid, who hit a perfectly struck right-foot shot from the edge of the area into the top corner of the net.

Ali Olwan tied it for Jordan in the 50th when made a long run into the box on a counterattack and beat Alexander Schlager with a right-foot shot that delighted the large contingent of Jordanian fans.

Posch injured his jaw later in the match and his status going ahead is in doubt.

Jordan will return to Santa Clara for its second match next Monday against Algeria, which lost 3-0 to Argentina in the first Group J match. Austria will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the Dallas area that same day.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager catches the ball during the World Cup Group J soccer match against Jordan in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Jordan's Yazan Alarab, right, scores on his own goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match against Austria in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager (1) punches the ball against Jordan's Mousa Altamari (10) during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Austria and Jordan in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)

Austria players celebrate after Jordan's Yazan Alarab scored on his own goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Austria's Marko Arnautovic, front, and Nicolas Seiwald celebrate after Jordan's Yazan Alarab scored on his own goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Connor Hellebuyck finally has a new home after the Winnipeg Jets granted the three-time Vezina Trophy winning goaltender's trade request in a deal that sent him to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

The Devils sent center Dawson Mercer, goalie Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.

The long-awaited, blockbuster trade ends months of speculation, a failed bid to move the U.S. Olympic gold medal-winner and 2024-25 NHL MVP in June, and the Jets' suspension of Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp in a standoff that required the involvement of the league and the Players' Association.

The 33-year-old Hellebuyck, who backstopped the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, leaves Winnipeg after spending his entire 11-year career there. Hellebuyck joins Jack Hughes, who scored in overtime of the final to defeat Canada, with the Devils and immediately puts them closer to being a Stanley Cup contender.

When training camp opened, new Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said he was very comfortable with the team’s goaltending situation. Since then, Daws and Jake Allen combined for an .880 save percentage, which ranks 23rd among 32 teams.

It was not immediately clear how soon Hellebuyck might be ready to play for his new team. He has been skating in his home state of Michigan while trade talks were ongoing.

Hellebuyck has five seasons left on a seven-year contact with an annual salary cap hit of $8.5 million.

He becomes the latest high-profile American to leave Canada for the United States. In June, Ottawa dealt captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, where he joined his brother Matthew. In December, the Vancouver Canucks traded star defenseman Quinn Hughes, a brother of Jake and teammate Luke, to the Minnesota Wild.

The process to trade Hellebuyck became messy, especially after the goalie went public with his request to leave Winnipeg in September. The Jets suspended the goalie for failing to report for camp in a disciplinary move that extended into the season with Hellebuyck not getting paid.

The length of suspension became an issue with the league and union determining Hellebuyck would be allowed to rejoin the Jets on Friday. Instead, a move to New Jersey materialized ahead of Winnipeg hosting the outdoor Heritage Classic this weekend.

The post-Hellebuyck plans went into motion over the summer, signing Stuart Skinner in free agency. The Jets claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers before the season began, and their combined .907 save percentage is seventh-best in the NHL.

The Jets were second-guessed for not dealing Hellebuyck in June, when teams had more options to prioritize salary cap space to make room to acquire the goalie. The Sabres were among the teams expressing interest in Hellebuyck, and were preparing to package a deal that included swapping first-round draft picks — Buffalo had the No. 4 selection, and Winnipeg had the eighth.

The challenge for Winnipeg became finding a willing trade partner to acquire a goalie with a high price tag and a lengthy contract well after most teams had set their rosters and had little salary cap space to work with. Another question mark involved Hellebuyck’s age and track record of following regular-season success with a spotty playoff record.

After Hellebuyck went 9-8 in leading the Jets to the Western Conference finals in his playoff debut in 2018, he has gone 15-26 since since, with the Jets advancing to the second round just twice in their next six playoff appearances. In four first-round exits, Hellebuyck had a combined 5-15 record.

The disparity of regular season vs. postseason success was evident in 2024-25. Leading Winnipeg to the Presidents’ Trophy and winning the Hart Trophy as MVP, Hellebuyck recorded a career-best 47 wins, then went 6-7 in the playoffs as the Jets were eliminated in Dallas in the second round.

With a 345-208-55 regular-season record, Hellebuyck ranks 27th in career wins on the NHL list, and fifth among U.S.-born players. Among U.S.-born goalies with 300 or more career starts, his .916 save percentage ranks fourth and 2.58 goals-against average ranks sixth.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

FILE - Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck warms up before the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

FILE - United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck blocks a shot against Canada during the third period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)