Group J at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is playing out exactly as most people expected. Argentina are top with six points heading into the final round of games, where they are expected to maintain their perfect record against already eliminated Jordan.
The only remaining question is whether Austria or Algeria, who both have three points, will claim second place — and whether either team actually wants it. Thanks to the tournament bracket, the runner-up appears set for a tricky tie against Spain in the round of 32.
It might sound strange to insinuate that a team competing on the biggest stage in soccer might not be overly bothered about winning. But in Austria’s case, it would not be the first time.
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At the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Austria feebly embraced a 1-0 defeat to West Germany in the final group game at El Molinón in Gijón — a result that took both teams through at Algeria’s expense and changed the World Cup forever.
It would become known as the “Disgrace of Gijón.”
It has been 44 years in the making: Riyad Mahrez will captain an Algeria team with a shot at revenge on Austria for the ‘Disgrace of Gijón,’ the match that changed the World Cup forever. Dean Mouhtaropoulos – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
The buildup to Gijón
To begin with, Algeria’s experiences in Spain were entirely positive. On their competition debut, the Desert Warriors shocked the world by beating 1974 winners West Germany 2-1 — a result widely regarded as one of the all-time great World Cup upsets. And although they lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, their chances of progressing still looked good.
With the two European nations both beating Chile (1-0 for Austria, 4-1 for West Germany), Algeria went into the final round in third with two points (back then, teams were awarded two points for a win and one for a draw). Austria led the group on four points, while Germany also had two points and sat second only by virtue of their superior goal difference.
Algeria’s final group match against Chile was in Oviedo on June 24, the day before the West Germany-Austria clash. After racing into a three-goal lead in the first half, they conceded twice but would ultimately beat Chile 3-2 to go level with leaders Austria on four points.
Those two conceded goals would have major ramifications for the group. They meant that, although West Germany still needed to beat Austria, a victory by either one or two goals would put both teams safely through to the second group phase and eliminate Algeria.
West Germany’s Horst Hrubesch scored against Austria after 10 minutes. It was the only moment of consequence in the match. Werek/picture alliance via Getty Images
The Disgrace of Gijón
West Germany went for it in the opening minutes, dominating the game and setting up camp in the Austrian half. The pressure paid off with a goal in the 10th minute, when Horst Hrubesch steered Pierre Littbarski’s ball from the left flank past Friedrich Koncilia from close range to give his side the lead it needed.
A common misconception is that the game immediately ceased to be competitive after that goal. In fact, it remained a contest until the midway point of the first half. It was not until the half-hour mark that Eberhard Stanjek, commentating for West German TV channel ARD, said: “I am now getting the feeling that both teams have become more fearful. The Austrians don’t want to concede another goal so as not to risk going out of the tournament. They know they’d be out with a 3-0. And our boys, well, they don’t want to concede an equalizer.”
At around the same time, Scottish referee Bob Valentine began to feel that something was amiss. Speaking to The Scotsman in 2011, he said: “It took me about 30 minutes to realize that the game was not going anywhere. I refereed the game in front of me. It’s all I could do.”
West Germany 1-0 Austria, 1982 WC
StatGER-AUTWC*Shots (on target)13 (2)30 (10)xG2.13.1Passes in defensive half483381.5Passes into final third118155Touches in penalty area2340(*average per match since 1966)
The crowd had already cottoned on to what was happening and made their feelings known. Whistles accompanied every backward or sideward pass. Algeria’s name was chanted. Some spectators even waved white handkerchiefs, a gesture of protest or dissatisfaction in Spain. Stanjek acknowledged their anger, saying: “The atmosphere here is turning ever sourer. And to be honest, I can understand why.”
As the play reduced to walking pace, with both teams completing over 90% of their passes and only one shot on target attempted since the goal, Stanjek eventually voiced the idea of a tacit agreement between the two teams and refused to commentate any longer. “I’m sure you’ll forgive me for not going into any further detail about the scenes that are unfolding here,” he said. “What’s happening here is shameful; there’s simply no other way to put it.”
His Austrian counterpart, ORF commentator Robert Seeger, even encouraged his viewers to turn off their TVs in disgust — a line that prompted several of the players to call for his resignation — and declared that he was “ashamed of the way this Austrian team is playing.”
With Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s 54th-minute shot from distance the final attempt on goal by either side, nothing had changed by the time Valentine blew the final whistle. The result was a 1-0 win for West Germany that sent both them and Austria through, and Algeria home.
West Germany’s Karl-Heinz Rummenigge received abuse from the crowd when he was substituted midway through the second half, by which point the match had ceased to be a contest. Mönckebild/picture alliance via Getty Images
The legacy of Gijón
The game sparked fury in Algeria and sent shockwaves around the world. But with no hard proof of conspiracy and no infringement of any written rules, FIFA had no choice but to allow the result to stand. It swiftly amended the competition format, though: At every World Cup since, the final two games in each group have been played simultaneously. In club soccer too, the last round of the UEFA Champions League group stage or league phase, the Premier League and many other competitions take place concurrently.
Fast-forward 44 years and there is an undeniable sense of irony that Algeria and Austria’s first meeting since Gijón should come in the final round of a World Cup group stage. And that the match is set up so perfectly for history to repeat itself, with both teams arguably standing to benefit from a defeat.
By the time they take to the field at Kansas City Stadium on June 28 in the last match slot of the group stages, the final standings of every other group will already be determined. Spain’s position in Group H will be confirmed, and both Austria (who have the superior goal difference and only need a draw to stay in second) and Algeria will know whether a runners-up finish will pit them against the reigning European champions in the round of 32 — a fact the media in both countries had latched on to even before the tournament.
In a piece for Der Standard newspaper, Austrian journalist Martin Schauhuber wrote: “It’s absurd but true: In theory, Austria’s easiest route to the World Cup title would be via narrow defeats to Argentina and Algeria — provided there is a clear win over Jordan in the first game.”
He added: “If the heirs of the perpetrators and victims of the Gijón scandal are effectively playing to avoid victory in their final match, it would be the most absurd twist of fate in football history.”
But Algerian journalist Rafik Tadjer cannot envisage it happening. For Tout sur l’Algérie, he wrote: “Is such a scenario truly conceivable? On closer inspection, it has no chance of happening. For one thing, only eight of the best third-placed teams will advance to the second round, and three points are likely to prove insufficient.”
Moreover, he believes the Desert Warriors are above such an approach, adding: “Although Austria was involved in the ‘Match of Shame’ in 1982, Algeria has never resorted to such practices in its entire history. [Algeria] will approach their three 2026 World Cup matches with the sole objective of winning, without any calculations. … If they face Spain in the second round, the Algerians will have everything to gain: Either they will advance, which would be an historic achievement, or they will fall with honor, as they did in 2014 against Germany.”
That round-of-16 match 12 years ago — in which the eventual champions were taken into extra time before winning 2-1 — was Algeria’s first chance to gain vengeance for 1982. Now, they have the opportunity to exact revenge against Austria. The players in the current squad are all too young to remember Gijón, but they will have grown up knowing all about it. But for the older generations, a win would feel like justice had been served.
