Emma Goetz has been playing for Austria Wien since the summer of 2025. The young Luxembourgish goalkeeper celebrated the championship title win with the team from the Austrian capital for the 2025/26 season, and is therefore now well acquainted with football in Austria.
According to Emma Goetz, football is also becoming something of a national sport in Austria. Although winter sports still dominate, more and more people are embracing football. "Football is an experience, and in my opinion that is the most important thing", says the 20-year-old footballer.
As far as women's football is concerned, a great deal is being invested, and it is encouraging to see that the sport is developing and not stagnating.
At first glance, Group J of the 2026 World Cup has a clear favourite: Argentina. As the defending champions, they bring a combination of experience, quality and confidence to the tournament. The squad still includes many of the players who won the 2022 World Cup. Emma Goetz also believes that the defending champions are the clear favourites in Group J.
"They simply have an immensely strong team and players who know how to make the difference when it matters most." Of course, the goalkeeper is also referring to Lionel Messi. The former FC Barcelona player is a natural leader, setting an example for the younger players. Even at 38 years of age, Messi's experience would make him a valuable asset to any team. Players like Messi simply bring a certain security to the team, something that is immensely important in major tournaments.
Besides Argentina, Austria has the potential to be one of the World Cup's surprise teams. The team has developed strongly under coach Ralf Rangnick over the past few years and has developed a reputation for an aggressive style of play. "They press high, putting the opposition under pressure to force mistakes early on, and I think they can pose a threat to even the biggest teams", explains d'Emma Goetz.
Additionally, there is an excellent balance of young and established players in the Austrian national team, the Red Lioness emphasised. "That balance is immensely important", and would make Ralf Rangnick's squad very dangerous. With experienced players such as David Alaba, Marko Arnautovic, and Konrad Laimer, they have the potential to reach the knockout stages.
Algeria and Jordan complete Group J, with Algeria seen as the group's underdogs. While most people are talking about Argentina and Austria, it should be noted that Algeria has a talented and experienced team. With players such as Riyad Mahrez and Amine Gouiri, they pose a threat to any team in the group. If they secure a win against Austria or a draw against Argentina, they could even finish second. Alternatively, the Africans could advance as one of the best third-placed teams. In the interview, Emma Goetz stressed that you should never underestimate an opponent. "On a good day, I could see Algeria causing problems for the Austrians."
For Jordan, simply taking part in this World Cup is a huge success. This is the first time Jordan has qualified for the tournament. While the team has less individual talent than the other three nations, they are sure to play with plenty of motivation and team spirit. While Jordan is unlikely to progress, they could certainly put up a good fight against the favourites. Emma Goetz thinks that Algeria and Jordan live and breathe football and could cause a surprise or two. Ultimately, however, Argentina and Austria are expected to secure the top two places in Group J.
