Egypt booked a historic place in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time in a gripping round on Friday.

The Pharaohs held their nerve in the shootout to continue their impressive campaign and keep African hopes alive after 120 minutes of intense football.

Australia nearly made the perfect start when Cristian Volpato struck the crossbar with a powerful long-range effort inside five minutes. Egypt responded positively and broke the deadlock in the 13th minute through Emam Ashour, who finished calmly from Karim Hafez’s inviting cross.

The North Africans carried their advantage into the break but were pegged back 10 minutes into the second half when Mohamed Hany inadvertently headed into his own net while attempting to clear a dangerous free kick.

Both sides pushed for a winner, with Egypt creating the better opportunities. Rami Rabia was twice denied by impressive Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach late in normal time, while Mohamed Salah missed a glorious chance in extra time after blazing over from close range.

The tie was ultimately decided on penalties, where Australia missed twice through Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington. Egypt converted four of their spot kicks, with Mahmoud Saber, Rami Rabia, Mohamed Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid all scoring to seal a memorable victory and secure a place in the last 16.