The Egyptian national team reserved its place in the 16th round of the 2026 World Cup, after defeating the Australian national team on penalties, after the original and extra time ended in a positive 1-1 draw, in an exciting confrontation in the round of 32 competitions. The "Pharaohs" opened the scoring in the first half through Imam Ashour, who took advantage of a cross ball and sent it into the net with a perfect header, before the Australian team succeeded in equalizing during the second half after Egyptian defender Mohamed Hani scored an own goal by mistake. Neither team was able to resolve the confrontation during the extra two halves, so the match went to penalty kicks, where the decision smiled at the Egyptian team after the brilliance of its players and goalkeeper, clinching the qualification ticket to the next round, amid great joy from the Egyptian fans. The match witnessed the participation of captain Mohamed Salah from the beginning and he gave an influential performance in leading his country, while the Egyptian team showed a strong personality and ability to deal with pressure until the last moments. With this victory, the Egyptian national team continues its journey in the 2026 World Cup, awaiting the winner of the confrontation between Argentina and Cape Verde in the next round.