Egypt Reach World Cup Last 16 After Penalty Win Over Australia
The squad will take Eid holidays on May 26 before reporting back to Islamabad on May 28. Shaheen Afridi and Australia captain Mitch Marsh are scheduled for a joint pre-series press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on May 29.
Egypt beat Australia 4-2 on penalties at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 3. The match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes. It was Egypt’s first World Cup knockout win in their history.
Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the winner from the spot. Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington both missed for Australia. Mathew Ryan, brought on in the 119th minute specifically for the shootout, did not save a single kick.
 Egypt vs Australia World Cup 2026 penalties 4 – 2
| Minute | Event | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13′ | Goal | Emam Ashour | Egypt |
| 55′ | Own Goal | Mohamed Hany | Australia |
| 1-1 After Extra Time, Penalty Shootout | |||
| P1 | Missed | Harry Souttar | Australia |
| P2 | Scored | Mahmoud Saber | Egypt |
| P3 | Scored | Ramy Rabia | Egypt |
| P4 | Scored (Panenka) | Mohamed Salah | Egypt |
| P5 | Missed | Lucas Herrington | Australia |
| P6 | Scored (Winner) | Hossam Abdelmaguid | Egypt |
Ashour ended 92 years of Egyptian knockout silence
Karim Hafez delivered a cross from the right in the 13th minute. Nestory Irankunda lost the run. Emam Ashour arrived at the back post and headed home.
That was Egypt’s first goal in a World Cup knockout match since May 27, 1934. Abdelrahman Fawzi had scored twice against Hungary on that day. No nation has ever waited longer between knockout-stage goals in World Cup history.
Ashour plays as a midfielder for Al Ahly. He finished last season as the Egyptian Premier League’s top scorer with 13 goals. That is a rare number for someone who does not play as a striker. He scored against Belgium in the group stage too. This World Cup is the biggest stage his international career has reached.
Omar Marmoush missed a clear chance to make it 2-0 seconds into the second half from close range. Had he scored, the match was over. He did not score.
Hany made history nobody wanted
Aiden O’Neill sent a free kick into the box in the 55th minute. Mohamed Hany went up to clear it. The ball came off his head and into the net. Australia were level at 1-1.
It was Hany’s second own goal of the 2026 World Cup. He had scored one in Egypt’s group stage draw with Belgium. No player had ever scored two own goals at the same World Cup before. Hany is now the first.
His goal was also the 13th own goal of the 2026 tournament. That broke the record of 12 set at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Moments before the free kick, Hany had been down on the pitch receiving treatment after a collision with Connor Metcalfe. He was cleared to continue. Within seconds of play restarting, the ball was in his own net.
Popovic pulled Beach and Beach did not know it was coming
Patrick Beach had started every game of Australia’s World Cup. He led all goalkeepers in the tournament in goals prevented before this match. In stoppage time he made a one-handed save to keep Ramy Rabia out and take the game to extra time.
Tony Popovic substituted him off in the 119th minute. Mathew Ryan came on.
Ryan had not played one minute of the tournament. Beach found out about the switch when the board went up, the same as everyone else in the stadium. “I found out at the same time you guys did,” Beach said after the match.
Popovic justified it on experience. Ryan, 34, has a longer career record in penalty situations than Beach, 22. The numbers backed the logic. The result did not.
There is also a detail worth noting. At the 2022 World Cup qualifying shootout against Peru, Ryan was himself the one pulled off so Andrew Redmayne could come on and save the deciding penalty. Popovic reversed that exact gamble in Texas. It failed the same way it worked four years ago, just from the other side.
Souttar and Herrington were sent up to take the first and second penalties for Australia. Both missed. Egypt’s four takers scored without being tested once.
Salah played 120 minutes hurt and still created the most chances
Mohamed Salah played the full match with a hamstring injury. He was quiet in the first half. He grew into the game in extra time without finding the net. When his penalty came, he sent Ryan the wrong way with a Panenka down the middle.
He was named player of the match. At 34, this World Cup is likely his last. Egypt face Argentina in the round of 16. That may be Salah’s final knockout appearance at this level.
“It’s history,” Salah said. “I told the boys before the game that this is the biggest stage you can play on. Enjoy it and don’t let the pressure get to you.”
Honest verdict
Egypt were the better side across 120 minutes. The Marmoush miss at 1-0 is what kept Australia in the match. Without that miss, there is no shootout. But Egypt still won the shootout cleanly. The Popovic decision will be debated. Pulling your in-form goalkeeper cold off the bench, for a keeper playing his first minutes of the tournament, in a penalty shootout, is not a conservative call. It is a high-risk call. It failed. Two defenders sent up first and second for Australia both missed the target. That is not bad luck. That is a planning failure. Egypt won because they were more composed from the spot and kept their best goalkeeper on the pitch.
Egypt face Argentina in the round of 16
Argentina are next for Egypt after beating Cape Verde in their own round of 32 match. Argentina are the reigning world champions. Egypt have never reached this stage before this tournament.
Pakistan fans can watch Egypt vs Argentina live on Tapmad. The app holds FIFA World Cup 2026 official streaming rights in Pakistan and works on mobile with low data.
FAQs
Who scored for Egypt against Australia at the 2026 World Cup? Emam Ashour scored Egypt’s goal in the 13th minute with a header. It was Egypt’s first goal in a World Cup knockout match since 1934, ending a 92-year gap. Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the winning penalty as Egypt won 4-2 in the shootout.
Why did Australia substitute Mathew Ryan before penalties Coach Tony Popovic replaced Patrick Beach with Mathew Ryan in the 119th minute because Ryan has more career experience with penalties. Beach had not been told about the plan. Ryan did not save any of Egypt’s four penalties and Australia lost 4-2 in the shootout.
What record did Mohamed Hany break in Egypt vs Australia Mohamed Hany became the first player in World Cup history to score two own goals in the same tournament. His goal was also the 13th own goal of the 2026 World Cup, breaking the previous record of 12 set in 2018.
Who does Egypt play in the World Cup round of 16? Egypt face Argentina in the last 16. Argentina are the reigning world champions and beat Cape Verde in their round of 32. Egypt are in a World Cup round of 16 for the first time in their history.
How can Pakistan fans watch Egypt vs Argentina live? Pakistan fans can stream Egypt vs Argentina live on Tapmad. The platform holds official FIFA World Cup 2026 rights in Pakistan. It supports mobile and low-data viewing.
