"We aim for third place, not second" — Fears of blatant "throwing" to avoid Spain... Could the "Shame of Gijón" from 44 years ago in "Austria vs. Algeria" repeat?

*This content was translated by AI.

Signs point to an abnormal situation in the final group-stage matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, where teams may prioritize defeat over victory.

On the 24th (Korean time), Australia's 7NEWS reported that "Austria and Algeria could intentionally lose their final group-stage match to secure a more favorable bracket in the Round of 32."

With the number of participating nations expanded to 48, only 32 teams will advance to the knockout stage. FIFA has changed its tiebreaking criteria from goal difference to head-to-head results, making the possible scenarios significantly more complex.

The media explained that "the rule changes have rendered some matches meaningless. The matches between the already-qualified Group D leaders and bottom-placed teams (the United States and Turkey), as well as the Group J match between Argentina and Jordan, will have no impact on the results."

The most attention-grabbing matchup is between Austria and Algeria in Group J, both tied with three points. If the two teams draw, they can both advance as second and third-place finishers. The media stated, "Since this match is the final game of the group stage, both teams are likely to enter the match aware that even a loss would guarantee their advancement to the next round as third-place finishers."

The problem lies in the knockout bracket. The Group J runner-up has a very high probability of facing Spain, the third-ranked team and a strong championship contender. Conversely, advancing as the third-place team would mean facing relatively easier Group J leaders such as the United States, Canada, and Switzerland. This is why there are concerns that both teams might aim for an intentional defeat rather than a victory to avoid Spain.

The football community is worried that the "Shame of Gijón" from the 1982 Spain World Cup could be repeated. At that time, if West Germany defeated Austria 1-0 in the final group-stage match, both teams would advance, while Algeria, which had finished its match the previous day, would be eliminated. After West Germany scored an early goal, both teams spent the remainder of the match simply passing the ball in their defensive formations without any offensive intent.

The football community and fans at the time strongly criticized this collusion. The media reported that "broadcast commentators were boycotted by viewers, and Spanish regional newspapers published the match report on their crime pages."

Ultimately, FIFA revised the regulations to require all final group-stage matches to be played simultaneously to prevent such collusion. The media noted, "Coincidentally, 44 years after the controversy involving Austria and Algeria, the two teams have once again been drawn against each other in what seems like a twist of fate in this tournament."

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*This content was translated by AI.