---
title: "Salah's Panenka Sends Egypt Past Australia and Into the World Cup's Last 16"
description: "Mohamed Salah cheekily chipped home a Panenka penalty in the shootout as Egypt beat Australia to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup — the first time in the nation's history it has won a knockout match at the tournament. Egypt now faces a possible blockbuster next: a meeting with Lionel Messi's Argentina."
category: "Sports"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/sports
author: "Tyler Grant"
published: 2026-07-03T21:38:25.000Z
updated: 2026-07-03T21:38:25.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/salah-s-panenka-sends-egypt-past-australia-and-into-the-world-cup-s-last-16
tags: ["World Cup 2026", "Egypt", "Australia", "Mohamed Salah", "soccer"]
---
# Salah's Panenka Sends Egypt Past Australia and Into the World Cup's Last 16

Mohamed Salah cheekily chipped home a Panenka penalty in the shootout as Egypt beat Australia to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup — the first time in the nation's history it has won a knockout match at the tournament. Egypt now faces a possible blockbuster next: a meeting with Lionel Messi's Argentina.

For the first time in its long World Cup history, Egypt has won a knockout match — and it took the coolest of nerves from its captain to get there.

## A first for the Pharaohs

Egypt beat Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Dallas, advancing from the round of 32 into the last 16, [Al Jazeera reported](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/3/egypt-beat-australia-on-penalties-to-win-first-world-cup-knockout-match). Egypt had reached the World Cup before but never won once the tournament turned to elimination games; this was the breakthrough.

Egypt led early through a first-half header before Australia drew level in the second half, the equalizer coming off an unlucky Egyptian own goal. Neither side could separate the other across the rest of regulation and extra time, and the match went to penalties.

## The chip that settled it

From the spot, Egypt were perfect, converting all four of their kicks. The signature moment belonged to Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star and Egypt captain, who dinked his penalty down the middle with a Panenka — the audacious slow chip that only the most self-assured players attempt on a stage this big, [France 24 reported](https://www.france24.com/en/sport/20260703-world-cup-egypt-beat-australia-penalty-shootout-reach-last-16-salah). Australia, by contrast, missed twice, and the Socceroos' late goalkeeping switch aimed at the shootout could not save them.

## Salah could get Messi next

Egypt's reward may be the tie of the round. Its round-of-16 opponent is expected to be defending champion Argentina — and Lionel Messi — with the match anticipated in Atlanta. That pairing is not yet locked in; it depends on Argentina getting past tournament debutant Cape Verde first. If the holders come through as expected, it would set up a rare meeting of two of the game's biggest names, Salah and Messi, with a World Cup quarterfinal on the line. For Egypt, simply being in that conversation is the point: after decades of near-misses, the Pharaohs have finally won when it counted.

## Sources

- [Egypt beat Australia on penalties to win first World Cup knockout match](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/3/egypt-beat-australia-on-penalties-to-win-first-world-cup-knockout-match)
- [World Cup: Egypt beat Australia in penalty shootout to reach last 16](https://www.france24.com/en/sport/20260703-world-cup-egypt-beat-australia-penalty-shootout-reach-last-16-salah)