Egypt have defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw following regulation and extra time in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
Imam Ashour opened the scoring for Egypt in the 12th minute with a fine header, before Australia found their equalizer via a Mohamed Hany own goal in the 55th minute. Football ultimately rewarded the Pharaohs in the penalty shootout, after they had squandered several clear-cut chances, particularly in the final five minutes of normal time.
Egypt successfully converted four penalties through Mahmoud Saber, Ramy Rabia, Mohamed Salah, and Hossam Abdelmaguid. Meanwhile, Australia missed two spot-kicks via Harry Souttar and Harrington.
With this victory, Egypt have finally broken a four-year penalty shootout curse. The Pharaohs had previously lost to Senegal on penalties in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, followed by another shootout heartbreak against the Teranga Lions two months later in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, Egypt suffered a penalty shootout defeat against DR Congo in the Round of 16 at the 2024 AFCON, with their most recent shootout loss occurring just a few months ago against Nigeria in the third-place playoff at the AFCON in Morocco.
Egypt will now face the winner of the match between Argentina and Cape Verde in the Round of 16, marking the best-ever achievement for the Nile nation in World Cup history.
