Romano Schmid’s World Cup stunner adds to Austria’s rising star

Austria midfielder Romano Schmid, 26, scored a superb first-half opener against Jordan at the 2026 World Cup, turning in a first touch at the edge of the box and curling the ball into the top right corner in the 20th minute. The goal came amid a day that also featured stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi, but Schmid produced one of the standout moments of the tournament so far.

The strike also made history. Schmid became only the second Austrian player ever to score both at a World Cup and at a European Championship, following Ivica Vastic. He had previously scored against the Netherlands at Euro 2024.

Schmid plays for Werder Bremen in Germany and has spent most of his career there, although he has long been linked with a move to the Premier League that has not yet happened. He was identified as a major talent from a young age, and former Austria manager and ex-Israel coach Andy Herzog once called him “one of Austria’s greatest talents.”

As a teenager at Sturm Graz, Schmid scored within his first 15 minutes on the pitch and became the first player born in the 2000s to score in the Austrian Bundesliga. At 1.68 meters, he is likely Austria’s shortest player, but his low center of gravity makes him dangerous in one-on-one situations. National coach Ralf Rangnick usually deploys him on the right wing, and he has started 29 consecutive matches under Rangnick, underlining his status as a key figure for Austria on the world stage.