FIFA World Cup 2026: Egypt advances to Round of 16 by defeating Australia in a thrilling penalty shootout, Mohamed Salah’s team dominates

The excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is at its peak and in a very tense match of the Round of 32, Egypt has secured a place in the last 16 by defeating Australia 4-2 in the penalty shootout. In this breath-taking match played in Dallas, both the teams were tied at 1-1 during regular and extra time. The Mohamed Salah-led Egypt team ultimately won with their composure and accuracy, while a tactical error by Australia cost them dearly. Imam Ashour’s lead and an unfortunate suicide goal got the match off to a great start for Egypt. In the 13th minute of the game, Imam Ashoor scored an excellent goal to put his team ahead 1-0. The aggressive tactics of the African team created initial pressure on Australia. However, the course of the game changed in the second half. In the 55th minute, a big mistake was made by Egyptian defender Mohammed Hani. In an attempt to stop Australia’s attack, he put the ball in his own goalpost. It was a historic ‘own goal’, making Egypt the first team to score two own goals in any World Cup edition since 1966. Australia’s big tactical mistake The match went to a penalty shootout, where Australia made a very controversial and risky move. Leaving out their in-form main goalkeeper Patrick Beech, the team fielded captain Matthew Ryan specifically for the shootout. This move backfired. Matthew Ryan failed to stop any shots from the Egyptian players. On the other hand, for Australia, Harry Southar and 18-year-old Lucas Harrington could not withstand the pressure at the penalty spot and missed the goal. Egypt’s next match was against Argentina or Cape Verde in a penalty shootout, where Egypt won 4–2 by converting all four of its shots on goal. Mohamed Salah’s side are now full of confidence and are ready for the Round of 16. In the next stage, Egypt will face the winner of the match between football giants Argentina and Cape Verde. The eyes of the fans are now fixed on whether Mohammed Salah’s team will be able to continue its magical journey further.