Ralf Rangnick scoffed at the suggestion Austria and Algeria wanted to play out a draw, while Vladimir Petkovic reflected on a “crazy” game.
Austria snatched a last-gasp 3-3 draw to cap a thriller in Kansas City.
Both teams went into the game knowing a draw would be enough for them to progress from Group J, but Austria were heading out when Riyad Mahrez scored his second of the match in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.
Yet just 61 seconds after his introduction from the bench, Sasa Kalajdzic headed home an equaliser.
There had been a suggestion in the build-up that both teams might aim to be conservative in order to take the point, but Rangnick laughed that off.
“In this match, when you have a 3-3, nobody can assume that it was an agreement, and especially what we saw during the last 90 seconds,” Rangnick said, as reported by Reuters.
“Three minutes to play, if somebody had said this would happen, you would have told them they were mad.
“I’ve been a coach for about 40 years and I don’t even remember a match that had such a dramatic course and such an unexpected trajectory.
Algeria 3-3 Austria Austria are elimin–Austria are through. pic.twitter.com/fNBUsxMdNO
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 28, 2026
“Most anticipated 0-0 or 1-1, and now it’s 3-3. It’s incredible. The locker room is madness. If Alfred Hitchcock had written such a drama, I probably would have said he was completely mad.
“All who watched the game during the last 15 minutes must know there is no hint that the players absolutely wanted to have a draw. I think they wanted to win.
“Nobody can tell me that suddenly in minute 93 somebody would plan: ‘Oh yes, let’s score another goal.’ I think maybe it was the thought of one or two players in Algeria, but I think in the rest of the squad I don’t think it was the case, and not for me.”
Algeria coach Petkovic added: “It sort of went beyond the limits of everyone’s endurance, it was a little crazy.”
Austria have advanced beyond the group stage for the first time since 1982, and they will take on Spain in the next round.
Algeria, meanwhile, will face Switzerland.
