Egypt are through to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup after beating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at AT&T Stadium. Emam Ashour gave Egypt a 13th-minute lead, Australia levelled through a Mohamed Hany own goal ten minutes into the second half, and neither side found a winner across 120 minutes. When it came to spot kicks, Egypt converted four while Australia managed only two.
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Key Moments
- 13′, Emam Ashour gave Egypt an early lead with the opening goal in Arlington, rewarding a sharp start from Hossam Hassan’s side.
- 55′, Australia drew level in unfortunate circumstances for Egypt, defender Mohamed Hany turning the ball into his own net.
- 120′, After a goalless extra time, the tie went to penalties. Egypt scored four, Australia only two, and Mostafa Shobeir’s side celebrated a 4-2 shootout win.
Tactical Breakdown
Hossam Hassan set Egypt up in a 4-4-2 with Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush leading the line, and the plan paid off early. Ashour’s 13th-minute goal forced Australia to chase the game, and a back four of Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Rami Rabia and Karim Hafez carried the lead into half time without serious alarm.
Tony Popovic’s 3-4-2-1 struggled to produce a clean breakthrough. The equalizer came not from Australia’s build-up play but from Hany’s own goal in the 55th minute, and Popovic kept turning to his bench, using all six of his substitutions across the 120 minutes in search of a winner that never arrived.
The shootout told the story for Australia. Two converted penalties against Egypt’s four ended the night, a thin margin after a match they never led and one that leaves the Socceroos out at the round of 32 despite conceding just once in two hours, and even that from an Egyptian boot.
Player Ratings
World Cup knockout bracket
Knockout results — aggregate scores across legs; winners in bold, penalty shootouts noted.
Head to Head
Verdict
Egypt move into the last 16 with a settled defense and a squad that has now come through a knockout shootout together. Australia exit at the round of 32, and the harsh truth for Popovic is that his side never scored a goal of their own making when it counted most.