Egypt advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia in a tense penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time. The victory marked Egypt’s first-ever win in a World Cup knockout game, overcoming a history of penalty shootout disappointments against other teams, notably Senegal.
Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian team and former Liverpool winger, played a pivotal role in the shootout. Twice before, Salah’s side had experienced penalty shootout heartbreak against Senegal—once in an Africa Cup of Nations final and later in a World Cup qualification playoff, with Salah missing a crucial penalty in the latter. In contrast, Salah calmly converted Egypt’s third penalty with a Panenka-style shot, choosing the moment to help inspire confidence in his teammates. “If somebody was going to do it, it would be me,” Salah said afterward. “I am more experienced than the others and I wanted to give them confidence. I decided last minute, I wasn’t sure if it was my last World Cup, I had to do it.”
The match took place in a closely contested fixture where Australia, coached by Tony Popovic, initially appeared the more threatening side. Early in the game, Australian forward Cristian Volpato struck the crossbar. However, Egypt broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when a free-kick was only partially cleared, allowing left-back Karim Hafez to deliver a precise cross that Emam Ashour headed firmly into the net.
Australia responded in the second half, capitalizing on a mistake from Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany, who inadvertently scored an own goal off a delivery by midfielder Aiden O’Neill in the 55th minute to level the score. Both sides struggled to create further clear-cut opportunities. Late in the match, a headed chance for Egypt from Rami Rabia was saved by Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who had been replaced late in extra time by former Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan specifically for the shootout.
During the penalty phase, Egypt converted all four of their initial spot kicks, while Australia’s captain Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington missed the first and fourth penalties, respectively. Salah’s successful penalty was followed by Herrington hitting the bar, and ultimately Egypt’s center-back Hossam Abdelmaguid sealed the shootout victory with the decisive spot-kick. The win sent an emotional Salah and his teammates through to the Round of 16, achieving a historic milestone for Egyptian football.