Indeed, he was on the pitch during the 1-1 draw against Germany, the final group stage match of the 2019 U21 European Championship, alongside the following players: Alex Schlager, Stefan Posch, Kevin Danso, Marco Friedl, Philipp Lienhart, Xaver Schlager, and Sasa Kalajdzic.
Max Ullmann, Dejan Ljubicic, and Husein Balic were also part of that team. In short, until Thursday, Horvath was the only player from that starting eleven who had never featured for the senior national team.
A Special Substitution
"I stood with Christoph Lang during the substitution; we nudged each other and said it was finally happening," he grins.
Although his LASK teammate is only 24 years old, there were also two and a half years between his first squad nomination and his debut.
Kalajdzic laughs: "I'm happy that I scored, that Lang made his assist, and that Horvath got the debut he deserved. It was a successful evening for LASK."
A Special Year
First, the birth of his first child, then a double victory with LASK, entry into the Champions League, and now the ÖFB team. Sascha Horvath won't soon forget 2026.
"It's incredibly cool right now; this year is indescribable. It couldn't be going better," he beams.
And of course, he needs a souvenir: "I'm taking the jersey home with me, what else?!"
