Sasa Kalajdzic scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser as Austria and Algeria played out an entertaining 3-3 draw in their final Group J clash at the World Cup. 

Riyad Mahrez thought he had scored the winner in the 93rd minute which would have sent Algeria through as runners-up, but Kalajdzic stepped up to seal second place.

The result does, however, see both teams progress into the knockout stages. Austria will take on European champions Spain, while Algeria, who advanced as one of the best third-placed teams, teed up a date with Switzerland. 

Austria threatened the opening goal but Xaver Schlager could only fire over the crossbar, with his eighth-minute shot the first within the opening 10 minutes for his team at this year's World Cup, but they had to bide their time before taking the lead. 

But moments after the first hydration break, Austria took the lead in the 28th minute through Marko Arnautovic, who raced on to David Alaba's lofted pass over the top of the Algeria defence before prodding past Oussama Benbot. 

Arnautovic almost doubled his tally moments later but dragged his shot wide of the left post, before Fares Chaibi struck the upright with a long-range thunderbolt.

Algeria eventually got themselves level on the stroke of half-time when Rafik Belghali cut inside and fired into the roof of the net after Mahrez had brilliantly kept the ball in.

However, Austria retook the lead 10 minutes after the break when Konrad Laimer's lay off was met by Marcel Sabitzer, who curled an exquisite strike, from the edge of the box, into the top-right corner. 

However, Ralf Rangnick's side's lead lasted only five minutes as Houssem Aouar made an explosive run down the left before rolling it across goal for former Manchester City star Mahrez to tap in at the back post. 

Mahrez thought he had won it for his country in the third minute of second-half stoppage time when he found the bottom-right corner from inside the box, but Kalajdzic sent the Austrian supporters wild with his close-range header in the 96th minute. 

A classic in Kansas City

After a relatively quiet 27 minutes, the game burst into life through Arnautovic's opener. That was his second goal of the 2026 World Cup, and he became the oldest Austrian (aged 37 years and 70 days) to start a World Cup match, surpassing Michael Konsel, who was 36 years and 109 days old when he started against Italy in 1998. 

As Algeria searched for an equaliser, Belghali dragged an effort wide of the left-hand post, before finding the back of the net minutes later.

He became the youngest player to score for Algeria in the World Cup (24 years and 20 days) since Algeria's first World Cup match in 1982, when both Rabah Madjer (23 years and 183 days) and Lakdhar Belloumi (23 years and 169 days) did so against West Germany.

Sabitzer's goal was his ninth from outside the box for Austria - more than twice as much as any other Austrian player since 2019.

Even more surprisingly, Mahrez's finish was his first World Cup goal at 35 years old. He became the first Algerian player to score a goal in the World Cup at 32 years of age or older before adding a second in stoppage time. He is the second Algerian player to score multiple goals in a single World Cup match (Salah Assad in 1982 vs. Chile).

Algeria created 12 shots with five on target, reflected by an expected goals (xG) total of 1.62, whereas Austria registered 10 shots with three on target, highlighted by an xG of 1.44.