Austria sealed its long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup after 28 years, clinching a spot at the 2026 World Cup with a dramatic 77th-minute equaliser from Michael Gregoritsch to secure a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in Vienna on Tuesday. The result was enough for Ralf Rangnick’s men to top Group H and book their ticket to the tournament to be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Bosnia, which needed a win to leapfrog Austria and secure only its second-ever World Cup appearance after its maiden campaign in 2014, struck early and silenced the home crowd. In-form striker Haris Tabakovic continued his scoring streak, heading in from close range in the 12th minute to give the visitors a vital advantage. It was his third straight scoring appearance in the qualifiers, following a brace of standout performances including Bosnia’s 3-1 win over Romania on Saturday.
Austria thought it had restored parity on the stroke of half-time when Konrad Laimer slotted home, but the celebrations were cut short after a prolonged VAR check ruled the goal out for a foul in the build-up.
The second half saw Bosnia drop deep, defending in numbers and looking to hit Austria on the counter. But the hosts maintained relentless pressure, and their persistence finally told. In the 77th minute, a teasing ball from Marcel Sabitzer caused chaos in the Bosnian box. The cross evaded the goalkeeper, struck the post and fell invitingly for Gregoritsch, who blasted home his 23rd—and arguably most significant—international goal.
The equaliser sparked euphoric celebrations at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion as Austria confirmed its first World Cup berth since 1998 and only its fourth in history.
Bosnia, finishing second in the group with 17 points, will now head into the March playoffs, where it will get another shot at securing a place at next year’s global showpiece.
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