Egypt reaches 2026 World Cup Round of 16 after dramatic penalty shootout win over Australia

Egypt has clinched a place in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16, overcoming Australia in a tense penalty shootout after a hard-fought 1-1 draw in their Round of 32 clash. The match, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, required extra time and ultimately spot-kicks to separate the two sides.

The Pharaohs took the lead in the 13th minute through Emam Ashour, who converted a pass from Karim Hafez. However, Australia found their way back into the game in the 55th minute when Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany unfortunately scored an own goal, leveling the score.

Despite further attempts from both sides, including efforts from Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah for Egypt, and a shot from Rami Rabia that was saved by Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach, neither team could find a decisive goal within the 120 minutes of play.

The dramatic conclusion came down to a penalty shootout, where Egypt proved more clinical. They secured a 4-2 victory after two Australian penalty takers, Harry Souttar and Lucas Harrington, failed to convert their attempts. Egypt now awaits the winner of the match between Argentina and Cape Verde in the next round.