For all the noise, all the tactical planning and all the emotional charge that teams carry into a knockout match, football has a habit of reducing everything to the loneliest act in sport. Australia and Egypt arrived in Arlington chasing the same piece of history and after Emam Ashour’s opener was canceled out by an own goal, this last-32 tie went to penalties.
There it was Egypt who held their nerves and scored with all four kicks, while Harry Souttar and teenager Lucas Herrington missed from the spot.
Earlier, a year after leaving a stadium in the United States in tears, Ashour strode triumphantly through Arlington’s arena. When the Egyptian midfielder scored in the 13th minute to give the Pharaohs the lead, he celebrated with the “Billionaire Strut” – Vince McMahon’s exaggerating chest and shoulder swinging walk in WWE, now made more famous by UFC’s Conor McGregor.
Australian teenager Lucas Herrington hits the crossbar in the shootout. | Photo credit: AP
Australian teenager Lucas Herrington hits the crossbar in the shootout. | Photo credit: AP
Tony Popovic kept Australia unchanged from the match against Paraguay, while Egypt made five changes, with Salah fit enough to start alongside Omar Marmoush despite hamstring concerns. Australia threatened first when Cristian Volpato’s long-range effort kissed the top of the crossbar in the fifth minute, but it was Egypt who struck. Ashour’s first free-kick from the left was blocked by the wall, but it was left unmarked as Karim Hafez floated the ball back into the box, allowing him to head past Patrick Beach.
A year earlier, on June 15, 2025, Ashour was taken off in Miami after breaking his collarbone while playing for Al Ahly against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Club World Cup.
Egypt should have doubled their lead almost immediately after the restart. Salah split the Australian defense with a perfectly weighted pass but Marmoush, opening his body to guide the ball past Beach, saw his effort flutter wide.
Egypt soon had to pay for this when Mohamed Hany, perhaps unsettled by Souttar’s threatening presence, turned the ball into his own net from an Australian corner.
Egyptian Emam Ashour celebrates his team’s first goal. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Egyptian Emam Ashour celebrates his team’s first goal. | Photo credit: REUTERS
In cricket, Australia has long regarded knockout games as its natural habitat. The men and women have been imperious on the biggest days, making ICC World Cups something almost a national heritage, even if the old white flannels have long since given way to colour, commercialism and sponsor-heavy shirts. The Socceroos tried to borrow from that same muscle memory here, pushing and straining for a first World Cup knockout win.
Beach kept the dream alive deep into stoppage time, keeping out a point-blank Rabia header. In extra time, Souttar stood like a wall against Salah and Egypt, somehow coaxing Australia’s tired legs to keep the score intact. The decisive goal never came and Popovic sent Mathew Ryan – a goalkeeper with 12 career saves – in place of Beach for the shootout.
But football, unlike inheritance, offers no guarantees. And for a country that has built a sporting reputation by thriving in knockout moments, there was no salvation here. Egypt walked away with the history both teams were looking for.
Published on July 4, 2026
