Egypt Eye Historic FIFA World Cup Breakthrough Against Australia as Mohamed Salah Races to Recover

Adham mohamed4 hours ago

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All eyes will be on AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Friday evening as Egypt takes on Australia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Cairo time.

The Pharaohs are aiming to continue their impressive World Cup campaign and make history by reaching the Round of 16 for the first time.

Egypt enters the knockout stage with high ambitions after securing its place in the Round of 32, hoping to build on a memorable tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Egypt Chasing a Historic Last-16 Berth

The Egyptian national team is determined to overcome Australia and qualify for the Round of 16, a milestone never before achieved in the country’s World Cup history.

The Pharaohs are also mindful of the fate of several African representatives eliminated in the Round of 32, including Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, and South Africa. Morocco remains the only African nation to have progressed after defeating the Netherlands to book its place in the Round of 16.

Injury Concerns Hit Egypt Ahead of Australia Clash

Egypt’s preparations have been complicated by injuries to several key players, most notably captain Mohamed Salah, in addition to Ahmed Fattouh and Hamdi Fathi. Midfielder Mohannad Lasheen will also miss the match after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament.

The absences present a significant challenge for head coach Hossam Hassan ahead of one of the most important matches in Egypt’s football history.

Mohamed Salah Racing Against Time

According to Reuters, Mohamed Salah remains in a race against time to recover in time for Friday’s Round of 32 encounter against Australia in Dallas.

The Liverpool forward has been undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a hamstring injury during Egypt’s 1-1 draw against Iran in the group stage.

Egypt has reached the knockout rounds for the first time after exiting at the group stage in both the 1990 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, making Salah’s fitness one of the biggest concerns for Hossam Hassan before facing Tony Popovic’s Australia.

Positive Signs from Salah’s Recovery

On Wednesday, the Egyptian Football Association shared videos on its official social media platforms showing Salah completing individual fitness work in the gym before later participating in part of the team’s training session on the pitch.

The footage has fueled optimism that the 34-year-old forward could be available for the match at AT&T Stadium. The Egyptian FA accompanied the post with the message: “The road back begins… The King will return stronger.”

Egypt’s Road to the Knockout Stage

Egypt secured second place in Group G after defeating New Zealand and drawing against Belgium in the opening match before earning a 1-1 draw with Iran, sealing qualification for the Round of 32.

The achievement marks Egypt’s first appearance in the World Cup knockout stage after previous group-stage exits.

Australia Seeking Its Own Historic Achievement

Australia is also pursuing history by aiming to win a World Cup knockout match for the first time.

The Socceroos advanced beyond the group stage for the third time in their history and for the second consecutive World Cup after reaching the Round of 16 in Qatar 2022, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Argentina under former head coach Graham Arnold.

Under current coach Tony Popovic, Australia opened its 2026 World Cup campaign with a victory over Turkey before losing 2-0 to the United States and drawing 0-0 with Paraguay to finish second in Group D.

Australia’s Focus on Stopping Mohamed Salah

The possibility of Salah featuring has dominated Australia’s preparations for the match.

Right-back Jordan Bos stressed that Australia would not be intimidated if Egypt’s captain takes the field.

“There may be respect off the pitch, but there is no respect on it,” Bos said.

“It’s eat or be eaten. That’s the mentality everyone will take into this match, and that’s certainly how I’ll approach it.”

He added:”Mohamed Salah is a world-class player. He’s stayed at the very top for a very long time. We definitely have to look at how to stop him and how to stop Egypt.”

“We’ve already done a lot of work on that. Now it’s about making a few small adjustments and seeing what the coach and the staff want us to do.”

Expected Egypt Lineup Against Australia

Goalkeeper: Mostafa Shobeir.

Defenders: Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Karim Hafez.

Midfielders: Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Hamdi Fathi.

Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah.

Egypt Arrives in Dallas

Egypt’s national team has arrived in Dallas, Texas, ahead of Friday’s Round of 32 encounter.

The delegation traveled from Spokane aboard a charter flight provided by FIFA, with the journey lasting approximately three and a half hours.

FIFA Announces Match Officials

FIFA’s Referees Committee, chaired by Pierluigi Collina, has appointed Uruguayan referee Gustavo Tejera to officiate the Round of 32 match between Egypt and Australia.

Tejera will be assisted by fellow Uruguayans Carlos Barreiro and Nicolas Taran, while Switzerland’s Sandro Schärer will serve as the fourth official. Stephan De Almeida, also from Switzerland, has been appointed reserve assistant referee.

Who Is Gustavo Tejera?

Gustavo Tejera, 38, was born on January 20, 1988, in Montevideo, Uruguay. He began his refereeing career in 2014 before earning his FIFA international badge in 2018.

The Egypt-Australia match will be his second assignment at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the group-stage match between Mexico and South Korea.

Tejera first officiated in FIFA competitions during the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, where he handled four matches, including the semifinal between France and Mali.

He also officiated five matches at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, including the semifinal between Morocco and France. Between those tournaments, he served as a referee at the 2024 Copa América in the United States, where he officiated the group-stage match between Colombia and Costa Rica.