Sasa Kalajdzic
Austrian striker who headed Austria's injury-time equaliser to send both sides through.
Last refreshed: 28 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Kalajdzic stay fit long enough to carry Austria into the World Cup quarter-finals?
Timeline for Sasa Kalajdzic
Headed in a stoppage-time equaliser seconds after Algeria went 3-2 ahead
2026 FIFA World Cup: Austria 3-3 Algeria: both go throughWho scored Austria's last-minute goal against Algeria at the 2026 World Cup?
How many ACL injuries has Sasa Kalajdzic suffered?
What club does Sasa Kalajdzic play for?
Background
Sasa Kalajdzic delivered the moment that defined Austria's 2026 World Cup group stage: a 96th-minute header to make it 3-3 against Algeria on 27 June, seconds after Riyad Mahrez had put Algeria ahead and moments before the final whistle. The goal sent both Austria and Algeria through to the round of 32 and confirmed Iran's elimination .
Kalajdzic came to the tournament carrying the weight of a career interrupted by three ACL tears and more than 1,000 days of rehabilitation. After missing most of the past two seasons with Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was loaned to LASK in the Austrian Bundesliga in September 2025, where he helped the club win their first league title in 61 years. He entered the 2026 World Cup squad with 22 caps and four international goals.
At 1.94 m, Kalajdzic is Austria's principal aerial threat and set-piece weapon. His recovery from repeated serious injury to deliver a decisive goal in a tournament group decider makes him one of the more unlikely comeback stories of the 2026 tournament.
