Austria's Christoph Baumgartner ruled of FIFA World Cup due to injury
Vienna, June 2
Austria have suffered a major setback ahead of the FIFA World Cup, with midfielder Christoph Baumgartner ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh muscle injury, the Austrian Football Association confirmed on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old sustained the injury during the warm-up before Austria's international friendly against Tunisia on Monday. Subsequent MRI scans revealed the extent of the problem, ruling him out of the World Cup and forcing team officials to seek a replacement.
Baumgartner heads into the tournament's sidelines after an impressive campaign with RB Leipzig, where he registered 17 goals and nine assists across all competitions.
"Christoph Baumgartner will be missed by the national team at the World Cup. This was confirmed following today's MRI examination. The 26-year-old suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh. We wish you all the best, Baumi," Austrian Football Association X handle wrote on X.
"This is of course very bitter news for Christoph and for us as a team," coach Ralf Rangnick said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.
"He is an important player and a central personality within our team. Now our full support is for his recovery," he added.
Austria begins their World Cup Group J campaign against Jordan on June 16.
Austria squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Patrick Pentz, Alexander Schlager, Florian Wiegele
Defenders: David Affengruber, David Alaba, Kevin Danso, Marco Friedl, Philipp Lienhart, Phillipp Mwene, Stefan Posch, Alexander Prass, Michael Svoboda
Midfielders: Carney Chukwuemeka, Florian Grillitsch, Konrad Laimer, Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Romano Schmid, Alessandro Schopf, Nicolas Seiwald, Paul Wanner, Patrick Wimmer
Forwards: Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch, Sasa Kalajdzic.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Injuries just before a World Cup are the worst thing that can happen to a player. Feel bad for Baumgartner, he must be heartbroken. 🇦🇹 Austria still has a decent team but losing a key midfielder just days before the tournament starts will affect their rhythm for sure.
Arre yaar, this is a big blow! Baumgartner was their creative force in midfield. Austria ki team mein youngsters bhi hain like Wimmer and Seiwald, but experience matters in World Cup. Rangnick will have to rethink his tactics now. Best of luck to Austria for recovery and replacement.
Unfortunate timing. Baumgartner was a key part of their midfield engine. I'm curious who Rangnick brings in as replacement. Austria have some depth but losing a player of his quality right before the World Cup is tough to overcome. Hopefully the rest of the squad steps up.
This is heartbreaking for any footballer – to miss a World Cup because of an injury in a warm-up game. 😢 Austria had a good thing going with Rangnick as coach, but losing Baumgartner will test their depth. I hope they can still make a strong run in Group J.
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