Konrad Laimer heads to World Cup as one of Austria’s key players
Ralf Rangnick’s team face Algeria, Argentina and Jordan in Group J
Bayern all-rounder relishing challenge of lining up against Lionel Messi
Since joining Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig in 2023, Konrad Laimer has established himself as a key figure for club and country. Comfortable in central midfield or at full-back, the versatile international contributed 16 goals in 47 appearances for Bayern during the 2025/26 season.
In this exclusive interview with FIFA, the Salzburg native discussed his country's ambitions for the , the influence of captain David Alaba and the prospect of facing and holders Argentina in the group stage.
Konrad Laimer: Excitement. I’ve never played in a World Cup before. It’s been so long since Austria last qualified. I just can’t wait. Firstly, it’s great fun to be with the team and everything that goes with it, and secondly, a World Cup is simply something very special. There’s a lot of excitement in the air.
It’s so rare to get the chance to play in a World Cup. I’m 28 now and about to play in my first one. You just never know what’s around the corner. Just being able to play for your country and take to the pitch is a privilege. You saw what it meant to us when we qualified in November – after all of the ups and downs along the way.
I think there’s a lot to be said for this team. Above all, we really are a team. That always sounds a bit like a cliché, but it’s true. Everyone is really keen to join up with the national team; we all want to win matches and play football together. I think that’s obvious when we’re out on the pitch. We don’t just pretend; we genuinely do enjoy each other’s company – even off the pitch. At the same time, we’re all very ambitious. On top of that, there’s everything the coach sets out for us, our game plan and our style of play. We’re a team with a really good dynamic, full of joy and passion. That’s how we want to carry ourselves, and that’s how we want to play football.
With all the experience he’s gained both as a player and as a person, he has so much to offer the team. He does that every day when he’s with us, on and off the pitch. In that way, he – like many others – can help everyone improve. That’s one of his great strengths, and that’s why we’re delighted he’s here with us.
Yes, just look at what he’s won at club level. He’s already played in the European Championship, and now he’s going to the World Cup for the first time. He has been a pioneer in so many ways, so there’s really not much to discuss. He’s the greatest player Austria has ever had.
He’s someone who talks and communicates a lot, which enables him to make a difference on the pitch, giving instructions and supporting the players in front of him and alongside him. He also speaks his mind when necessary. With his experience, he simply knows what matters at any given moment. The same is true off the pitch, whether he’s just saying a few words to the group or giving a team-mate a little bit of advice. He is, quite simply, vital for us. Someone who leads the way, who knows what it takes and has been playing at the very highest level for years.
You’d have to ask the other teams, but as far as I’m concerned, they’re welcome to underestimate us. I think something like that actually works in our favour. We’re preparing in the same way we always have, and we want to go as far as we possibly can.
It’s definitely not an easy group. If you look at the statistics, it’s one of the toughest groups, but we’re used to that. We’ve seen that before at the EURO and at other tournaments too. It won’t get any easier after that, anyway. If we play our football as a team, we can beat anyone.
At the end of the day, we always want to play against the best. Argentina are the reigning world champions, so they are the best, and Messi is the best player in the world. It’s always great to play against players of that calibre and see how you measure up against them. In the end, you see just how good you really are. Argentina are a special team, with an incredible amount of quality. Of course, we want to show what we can do too, but the other matches will be just as important if we want to progress.
We’re really looking forward to it. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing Jordan, Argentina or Algeria, we just want to win. To do that, we’ll need to put in fantastic performances. We just want to get through the group stage first and then see where the journey takes us.
In football, anything’s possible – we’ve seen that time and again. We’re obviously not one of the favourites, and we’ve also been drawn in a very tough group, so we’ll all have to be on top of our games. But, in principle, anything can happen. I am, however, someone who takes things one step at a time. It’s so much fun playing in this team. We have the quality, but we also need to deliver on the big day. Then, who knows?
Sources: FIFA Official
