History was made today as Egypt reached the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating Australia on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 draw over extra time to clinch their first ever World Cup knockout match.
The North African’s took an early lead through a potent header by Emam Ashour in the 13th minute after being fed with a delivery from Karim Hafez. Australia equalised ten minutes into the second half after Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany’s own goal led to a level game, forcing a tough 30 minutes of extra time.
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Neither teams could find the back of the net in extra time, forcing a nerve wracking penalty shootout where Egyptian duo Mahmoud Saber, Ramy Rabia, Mohamed Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid all scored their penalties, whereas Harry Souttar’s shot sailed over the bar and Lucas Herrington’s effort was stopped by the woodwork as Egypt went into the record books with a historic triumph.
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The winning captain Mohamed Salah who was able to make the starting lineup despite a recent hamstring injury reflected on a historic moment for Egyptian football.
We played under pressure and we accepted it and I promise Egyptians we came here to do our job,” said the skipper.
The Pharaohs now proceed to the round of 16, where they will take on Argentina after their victory over Cape Verde, thus achieving the deepest run at the World Cup for the country.
