Austria and Algeria are fighting back against conspiracy theories following their wild 3-3 draw in Kansas City. Critics suggested the teams engineered the result, echoing the infamous 'Disgrace of Gijon' from the 1982 World Cup. Both managers vehemently denied these claims, arguing the game's chaotic nature proves it was a genuine contest.

Austria manager Ralf Rangnick called the accusations mad, citing the unpredictable final 15 minutes as evidence. He noted that the dramatic trajectory of the match would have baffled anyone predicting a scripted outcome. Rangnick compared the result to a Hitchcock film, noting that most observers expected a low-scoring 0-0 or 1-1 finish instead.

Algeria manager Vladimir Petkovic also dismissed the arrangement rumors, stating that football prevailed in the end. The result sets up high-stakes knockout matchups for both sides. Austria travels to Los Angeles to face Spain on July 2, while Algeria meets Switzerland in Vancouver on July 3.

These teams now move into the last 32 stage of the tournament. Austria's match against Spain kicks off at 20:00 BST, and Algeria's clash begins at 04:00 BST. Both teams must shake off the match-fixing noise to focus on their respective last 32 opponents.