Video: Great escape… How Austria’s goal made Algerian fans happy.

In a rare scene that mixed jubilation with calculation, Algerian fans celebrated Austria’s goal as if it was a goal by the “desert warriors” in a game that brought them together in the third and final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.

The final whistle of the Algeria-Austria match did not announce the normal 3-3 draw, but rather announced the survival of the match against Spain in the 2026 World Cup round of 32.

At one point, the balance changed, and the goal scored by Saša Kalajdzic at the fateful moment in the Austrian national team turned anxiety into dancing in the “green” stands.

and observation Algeria fans He was jumping for joy after Austria’s third goal at the end of the group stage. The goal not only gave Austria a point, but also gave Algeria an easier path to the knockout stages.

With this draw, under the 2026 World Cup system, Algeria secured qualification as one of the best third-placed teams, with a date with Switzerland instead of a fiery clash against Spain.

The match was a scene of excitement until the last seconds. In the 93rd minute, Riyad Mahrez lit up the stands with Algeria’s third goal, which everyone thought was the winning goal, and they avoided a showdown against La Roja.

But the Austrians’ reply came fast and hard through Kalidzic before the final whistle and a double wave of jubilation erupted with the Austrians drawing and the Algerians escaping Spain.

Videos of Desert Phoenix fans wildly celebrating the Austrian’s equalizer have been shared on social media, a celebration that was less about the draw than the upcoming opponent.

Instead of facing Spain, Vladimir Petkovic’s men will face Switzerland, an opponent that looks far less formidable on paper than the European champions.

Austria finished second in Group 10 behind Argentina and will face Spain in the Round of 32. As for Algeria, they survived the “nightmare scenario” and continued their World Cup dream in a way that suddenly seemed more realistic after the goal was conceded, but celebrated as if it was the goal of the tournament.