Marko Arnautovic

Marko Arnautovic cemented his legacy as one of Austria's greatest footballers at the 2026 World Cup, scoring a stoppage-time penalty in a 3-1 win over Jordan on 16 June. At 37 years old, he became Austria's oldest World Cup goalscorer, and did so on his tournament debut. Austria were appearing at the finals for the first time since 1998, and Arnautovic was the captain who led them through qualifying.

Born in Vienna on 19 April 1989, Arnautovic has had one of European football's more peripatetic careers: Werder Bremen, Internazionale (on loan), Werder again, Valencia, Werder a third time, Stoke City, West Ham United, Shanghai Port, Bologna, Internazionale again, and now Red Star Belgrade, whom he joined in 2025. He broke Austria's all-time scoring record in October 2025 with his 45th international goal in a 10-0 demolition of San Marino, surpassing Toni Polster's long-standing mark. He finished the qualifying campaign with 47 goals in 132 caps, a record unlikely to be approached for years.

Arnautovic has always been a polarising figure: genuinely world-class on his day, capable of going missing in others. His 2026 World Cup showing, arriving at his only finals having already broken his country's all-time scoring record, is the fitting capstone to an unlikely international story for a player who seemed, for years, to be drifting away from his potential.