Last updated: July 2026
Mohamed Salah delivered one of the coolest moments of the 2026 World Cup so far, converting an audacious Panenka penalty to send Egypt past Australia and into the Round of 16, a first-ever World Cup knockout win for the Pharaohs.
Egypt and Australia could not be separated after 120 minutes in Dallas, the match finishing 1-1. Emam Ashour headed Egypt in front in the 13th minute, before Mohamed Hany became the first player at the tournament with two own goals in a single World Cup, allowing Australia to level. Neither side found a winner in extra time, sending the tie to penalties.
Egypt were flawless from the spot, with captain Mohamed Salah stepping up to chip a cheeky Panenka penalty straight down the middle, sending Australia’s substitute goalkeeper Mathew Ryan the wrong way. Australia missed twice, Harry Souttar blazing over and 18-year-old Lucas Herrington striking the crossbar, as Hossam Abdelmaguid converted the winning penalty to send Egypt through 4-2 on kicks.
Having first appeared at a World Cup in 1934, this was Egypt’s first ever win in a World Cup knockout match, and only the second African nation in history to win a World Cup penalty shootout, after Morocco’s two shootout triumphs in 2022 and 2026. Salah was emotional after the match, calling it “history” and praising his teammates for their composure under pressure.
Speaking after the game, Salah explained his decision to attempt the high-risk chip: “If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence.” The moment instantly became one of the most replayed clips of the tournament, and cemented Salah’s status as one of the standout individual performers of the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt advanced to face Argentina in the Round of 16, setting up a mouthwatering showdown between Salah and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest players of their generation meeting on football’s biggest stage.
Read more in our 2026 World Cup knockout stage preview, and shop the Egypt national team jersey to support the Pharaohs.
Salah scored a chipped Panenka penalty down the middle of the goal in Egypt’s shootout win over Australia, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Yes, this penalty shootout win over Australia was Egypt’s first ever victory in a World Cup knockout match, having first appeared at the tournament in 1934.
Egypt’s historic win adds their name to a growing list of African nations making real history at the 2026 World Cup, following Morocco’s continued excellence and Cape Verde’s heroic run. It is only the fifth time an African country has advanced in the knockout phase, joining Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, Ghana in 2010, and Morocco in both 2022 and 2026, a milestone that will be celebrated across the continent for years to come.
By his own admission, Salah’s overall form dipped through parts of the group stage, but his performance against Australia, capped by that iconic penalty, instantly redefined his 2026 World Cup legacy. With no one having created more chances at the tournament than Salah heading into the match, his ability to deliver in the biggest moment reaffirmed his status among the game’s elite performers, even in a period some had questioned his consistency.
The prospect of Egypt facing Argentina in the Round of 16 immediately became one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament, pitting two of the finest players of their generation against each other on the world’s biggest stage, a genuinely historic occasion for both nations regardless of the eventual result.
Whatever happens against Argentina, Salah’s Panenka will be remembered as one of the defining individual moments of the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt’s historic celebration on the pitch in Dallas will live long in the memory of football fans across the African continent.
Salah has cemented his legacy as one of Egyptian football’s greatest ever players.
A moment Egypt will celebrate for generations.
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