Austria national team coach Ralf Rangnick emphasized that his team is not afraid to face Spain in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, United States.
"It feels like we couldn't possibly be more favored than we are now," Rangnick was quoted as saying on FIFA's official website on Thursday.
"Maybe in ten meetings against Spain, we'll lose seven, eight, or even nine times. What we have to ensure is that tomorrow's match isn't the tenth," he added.
Spain, the reigning European Championship 2024 champions, will be Austria's next tough opponent after facing 2022 World Cup champions Argentina in the group stage, which ended in a 0-2 defeat.
Austria's task is made all the more difficult by Spain's impressive array of world-class stars, including Lamine Yamal, while La Furia Roja boast the best defense, having not conceded a single goal in their three World Cup matches.
"We've already faced the world champions, now we're facing the European champions. And if we pull off a surprise, perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will be waiting in the next match," said the former Manchester United manager.
