World Cup Heroes from Döbling
In one week, the FIFA World Cup kicks off in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. For the first time since 1998, the Austrian national team has qualified for the tournament. Before the action begins, we take a look back at the Vienna players who represented Austria on football’s biggest stage and became World Cup heroes from Döbling.
Willibald Schmaus
Willibald Schmaus played for First Vienna FC during the 1930s and was part of the most successful era in the club’s history. The defender won multiple Austrian league titles and two Austrian Cups with Vienna. He was also a member of the team that famously won the Mitropa Cup in 1931.
Schmaus was included in Austria’s squad for its first-ever World Cup appearance at the 1934 FIFA World Cup, although he did not feature in a match. He made his World Cup debut four years later against Switzerland at the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
Kurt Schmied
Goalkeeper Kurt Schmied made 226 league appearances for Vienna between 1952 and 1965 and was part of the club’s last championship-winning team in 1955.
Schmied was selected for both the 1954 FIFA World Cup and the 1958 FIFA World Cup. During the 1954 quarter-final against Switzerland, he suffered severe heatstroke in the first half but remained on the pitch with the assistance of Austria’s team masseur. Austria eventually won the match 7–5 in what became known as the legendary “Battle of the Heat in Lausanne.” Thanks in part to Schmied’s performances, Austria finished an outstanding third in the tournament. He later made another World Cup appearance in 1958.
Karl Koller
Known as “Mr. Vienna,” Karl Koller was regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation. With 452 league appearances between 1949 and 1966, he remains Vienna’s all-time appearance record holder. He also helped the club win the Austrian championship in 1955.
Like Schmied, Koller represented Austria at both the 1954 and 1958 World Cups. During Austria’s historic third-place finish in 1954, he played every minute of every match. Four years later, he scored one of his five international goals against England at the World Cup in Sweden. Despite strong performances, Austria was unable to advance beyond the group stage in 1958.
Hans Buzek
With 145 goals in 160 league matches, Hans Buzek ranks third on Vienna’s all-time scoring list. He made his first-team debut at just 16 years of age and quickly established himself as a prolific goalscorer.
Buzek was also part of Austria’s squad at the 1958 World Cup. The striker appeared in all three group-stage matches, although he was unable to find the back of the net.
Kurt Russ and Gerald Glatzmayer
The most recent Vienna players to appear at a World Cup finals tournament were Kurt Russ and Gerald Glatzmayer. Both were selected by national team coach Josef Hickersberger for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Russ made two appearances during the tournament, while Glatzmayer featured once.
Vienna Connections in the Current Austrian Squad
The current Austrian national team includes two players who spent part of their youth careers at Vienna: record goalscorer Marko Arnautović and striker Sasa Kalajdžić. Kalajdžić spent four years developing in Vienna’s youth academy.
As the World Cup approaches, we wish the Austrian national team every success. We are proud of you all!
