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World Cup 2026: David Alaba fit to travel; Christoph Baumgartner misses the tournament

Alaba, substituted at half-time in the friendly against Tunisia, was considered fit to travel. Baumgartner, 26, injured his thigh in the warm-up and is out of the World Cup, the Austrian federation confirmed. Rangnick mourns the loss. Austria faces Jordan (16/06), Argentina (22/06) and Algeria (28/06).

18 June 2026Global
World Cup 2026: David Alaba fit to travel; Christoph Baumgartner misses the tournament

David Alaba has been deemed fit to travel with Austria's 2026 World Cup squad following a muscle injury suffered on Monday, while Christoph Baumgartner has been ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh problem.

The Austrian captain was substituted at half-time in the 1-0 friendly win against Tunisia, but was given the green light to head to the United States with the rest of the group.

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The RB Leipzig midfielder, 26, suffered a muscle injury in his thigh during the warm-up of Monday's game and is out of the World Cup, the Austrian federation confirmed on Tuesday. Baumgartner is one of the team's most influential players and arrives after a great season in Germany, with 17 goals and nine assists in all competitions for the Bundesliga club.

“This is, of course, very tough news for Christoph and for us as a team,” lamented coach Ralf Rangnick in a statement. "He is an important player and a central personality in our group. Now, all our support goes to his recovery."

Austria's campaign in the 2026 World Cup begins against Jordan on June 16th, followed by the reigning world champion, Argentina, on June 22nd, and closes against Algeria on June 28th.