Egypt reached the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in their history on Friday, edging past Australia 4-2 on penalties after a tense round-of-32 clash in Dallas ended 1-1 after extra time. 

The victory marked the Pharaohs’ first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match, sparking wild celebrations from Hossam Hassan’s players and an emotional reaction from their captain, Mohamed Salah.

Egypt started the stronger of the two sides in front of a 70,000-strong crowd, taking the lead in the 13th minute when Emam Ashour rose highest to head home from a Karim Hafez cross, netting his second goal of the tournament.

Australia, who managed just two goals across the entire group stage, struggled to create clear chances in the opening 45 minutes, with Salah similarly subdued as he returned from a recent hamstring strain.

The Socceroos hit back 10 minutes into the second half when Mohamed Hany turned the ball into his own net, dragging the match level and setting up a nervy finish. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, whose father Ahmed once represented the Pharaohs in goal at the 1990 World Cup, was called upon as Australia pushed for a winner, while a stoppage-time save denied Ramy Rabia what would have been a dramatic late winner at the other end. Neither side could find a breakthrough in extra time, sending the contest to penalties.

Australia manager Tony Popovic made a late gamble, introducing experienced goalkeeper Mathew Ryan for the shootout, but the move failed to pay off. Egypt held their nerve from the spot, converting through Mahmoud Saber, Ramy Rabia, Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid, with Salah’s cheeky Panenka drawing gasps from the crowd. Australia’s Lucas Herrington struck the crossbar before Abdelmaguid stepped up to fire home the winning kick, sending Salah into tears of joy and Egyptian fans inside the stadium into a standing ovation.

The result extends Egypt’s dream run at the 2026 finals and sets up a mouth-watering potential clash with Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the last 16, contingent on the result of Argentina’s tie against tournament debutants Cape Verde. For Australia, the exit brings a disappointing end to a World Cup campaign in which Popovic’s side had shown resilience but ultimately lacked the firepower to go further.

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