Round of 32 · AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Australia
EgyptFriday, July 3, 2:00 PM EDT · 📺 FOX / FOX One
FT 1-1 (pens 4-2) · Egypt advance
Egypt just won its first World Cup match ever — and now a fit-again Mo Salah has to do it again with the season on the line, or fly home.
The winner reaches the Round of 16. For Egypt this is brand-new air — they'd never even won a World Cup game before this tournament. Australia has twice made the Round of 16 (2006, 2022) and wants to finally push past it.
Egypt. You get to watch Mo Salah — one of the best players on the planet — in a World Cup knockout for basically the first time, and a whole country has waited generations for this night.
01Sound smart about this
- The Salah watch: he pulled up with a hamstring strain 57 minutes into the 1-1 draw with Iran, but he's back in training and coach Hossam Hassan has declared him fit. Whether he starts is a game-time call — that's the first thing every broadcaster will mention.
- Egypt's breakthrough tournament: they beat New Zealand 3-1 for their first World Cup win in history and squeezed through behind Belgium. One catch — left-back Ahmed Abou El Fattouh is out with a torn hamstring, so their defense is patched up.
- Australia keeps changing shape: coach Tony Popovic has rotated his lineup every single match, so nobody knows the XI until kickoff. Their spark is 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda, whose strike against Turkey made him Australia's youngest-ever World Cup scorer.
02Players to actually watchtap a line to copy
Egypt's talisman and one of the most feared attackers in the world — recovered from a hamstring scare, though the coach won't confirm until kickoff whether he starts or comes off the bench.
Say this“If Salah starts, everything Egypt does goes through his left foot — watch him drift in from the right and cut inside.”
Egypt's Manchester City forward — the man who has to carry the goal threat if Salah is limited or rested.
Say this“Marmoush plays for Man City — if Salah isn't right, he's the one who has to be Egypt's hero tonight.”
The 20-year-old breakout of Australia's tournament — his goal against Turkey made him the youngest Australian ever to score at a World Cup.
Say this“Watch the Aussie kid Irankunda — he's 20 and already their youngest-ever World Cup scorer.”
Australia's captain and last line — with a patched-up Egypt attack coming at them, he could be the busiest man on the pitch.
Say this“Australia's captain is their goalkeeper — if they're going to survive this, Mat Ryan has to have a night.”
03Ask thistap to copy
Egypt won its first-ever World Cup match this tournament — a 3-1 result over New Zealand. This whole run is new ground for them.
Salah is a game-time decision after a hamstring strain against Iran — the coach genuinely hasn't said if he'll start.
Australia's Nestory Irankunda is only 20 and is already the youngest Australian ever to score at a World Cup.
Egypt's other star, Omar Marmoush, plays for Manchester City — it's not a one-man team.
Popovic changes Australia's lineup every match on purpose, so nobody knows who's playing until it kicks off.
04Opinions you can safely have
- If Salah starts, this is his stage — a fit version of him in a knockout is appointment television.
- Australia are organized and stubborn, so don't be shocked if this is tighter than the star names suggest.
- Losing their first-choice left-back hurts Egypt — that's the flank to attack.
05Jargon of the match
The one player a whole team leans on to win games — say 'Salah is Egypt's talisman' and everyone nods, because if he's off, so are they.
06The call
Egypt 2-1 if Salah starts — his class tips a tight, physical game. If he's stuck on the bench, this one smells like extra time.
Facts checked: 2026-07-03. Lineups drop ~1 hour before kickoff.