Salah Panenka seals Egypt's first World Cup knockout win
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- Egypt eliminated Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw through extra time in Dallas, with Salah's audacious Panenka sealing the win after Harry Souttar had earlier missed for the Socceroos.
- Egypt became only the second African nation to win a World Cup penalty shootout — after Morocco's victories over Spain (2022) and the Netherlands (2026) — and just the fifth African country to advance past the group stage.
- Salah finished the match with 8 touches in the opposition box (more than any other player), and his 16 chances created at the 2026 World Cup ties Belgium's Leandro Trossard for the tournament lead.
- Egypt faces defending champion Argentina and captain Lionel Messi in Atlanta on Tuesday in the round of 16.
- Salah is currently without a club after departing Liverpool in May, and Thursday's match fell exactly one year after his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota and Jota's brother Andre Silva died in a car accident.
- Egypt had never won a World Cup match before this tournament — their first-ever victory was a 3-1 group-stage win over New Zealand, despite their debut in 1934.
Why it matters: Egypt advance to face defending champion Argentina and Messi in the round of 16 after authoring their first-ever World Cup knockout win — a leap for a nation that had never won a World Cup match before this tournament's group stage. For Salah, playing without a club after leaving Liverpool, the Argentina tie offers one more stage to cement his legacy against the sport's most decorated active player.
