Austria has been dealt a significant blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with midfielder Christoph Baumgartner ruled out of the tournament due to a thigh muscle injury.

The Austrian Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that the 26-year-old suffered the injury during a pre-match warm-up before Austria’s friendly against Tunisia on Monday.

An MRI scan showed the injury was serious enough to end his chances of playing in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Baumgartner’s Best Season Comes to an Unfortunate End

Baumgartner’s absence is a big blow to Ralf Rangnick, as the Austrian has become one of Austria’s key players, having just completed the most productive club season of his career with RB Leipzig.

After moving to Leipzig from TSG Hoffenheim, the attacking midfielder had his best season in 2025-26, ending as the club’s top scorer in the Bundesliga.

He made 33 league appearances, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists. Baumgartner also impressed in the DFB-Pokal, scoring four goals in four matches.

Across all competitions, he registered 17 goals and eight assists in 37 appearances, directly contributing to 25 goals during the season.

Alaba Provides Austria With Positive Injury News

While Austria have lost one of their key attacking threats, they have received encouraging news regarding captain David Alaba.

The 33-year-old is now cleared to travel with the team after recovering from a muscle injury that took him out at half-time during Austria’s 1-0 win in their last match.

This tournament is especially important for Alaba. Even though he has been one of Austria’s best-known players for the past decade, he has never played at a World Cup finals because Austria did not qualify from 1998 to 2026.

Alaba was key in helping Austria end their long World Cup absence. He scored six goals in the 2014 qualifiers to become the team’s top scorer and added three assists in the 2018 qualifiers and two more in 2022. For the 2026 qualifiers, he played four games and made one assist.

Austria’s qualification means this is their first World Cup appearance since 1998 in France, when they went out in the group stage.

Austria has played in seven World Cups, with 12 wins, four draws, and 13 losses in 29 matches. Their best result was third place in 1954, which remains the highlight of Austria’s football history.

Now, Austria’s coaches need to find someone to replace one of their most important players for the World Cup