AUSTRIA - HOME SHIRT 2008
Austria's national team are one of European football's most historic sides, representing a footballing nation whose 1930s "Wunderteam" was once the most admired side on the continent. Known to fans as Das Team, the Austrians count a third-place finish at the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland and a fourth-place finish in 1934 among their proudest moments, alongside Euro 2008 co-hosting duties and a remarkable run to top of their group at Euro 2024.
This legacy has been shaped by legendary figures such as Matthias Sindelar - the "Mozart of football" who captained the Wunderteam - Ernst Happel, Hans Krankl, Andreas Herzog, and modern great David Alaba, whose brilliance has defined Austrian football across generations.
Austria wore this striking home shirt at UEFA Euro 2008, the tournament they co-hosted with neighbouring Switzerland under manager Josef Hickersberger. Drawn into a tough Group B with Germany, Croatia and Poland, Das Team's campaign was bookended by narrow defeats - a 1-0 loss to Croatia in the opener courtesy of a Luka Modrić penalty, and a 1-0 reverse against Germany sealed by Michael Ballack's swerving free kick. In between came the moment of the entire campaign, however: a 1-1 draw with Poland in Vienna in which 38-year-old Ivica Vastić converted a 93rd-minute penalty to give the hosts their first ever point at a Euros - and made him the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history.
As of 2026, Austria are preparing for their first FIFA World Cup since 1998, having topped UEFA qualifying Group H with six wins from eight matches before being drawn into Group J of the finals alongside defending champions Argentina, Algeria and Jordan. With a squad led by David Alaba, Bayern Munich's Konrad Laimer, Borussia Dortmund's Marcel Sabitzer and all-time leading scorer Marko Arnautović, Das Team travel to North America under Rangnick aiming to progress beyond the group stage for the first time in over half a century.
Follow Austria on X: @oefb1904
