A cool head wins the day! Egypt eliminates Australia on penalties, leaving all nine AFC teams (including guest participants) eliminated

At 2:00 AM Beijing time on July 4, the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 featured a pivotal match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Egypt and Australia fought to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, and the Egyptians triumphed 4-2 in penalties (5-3 overall) to book their spot in the last 16. With this Oceanian "guest" team bowing out, all nine AFC representatives in this World Cup have been eliminated—a dismal outcome that has sparked widespread shock and debate among fans, with many calling Asia a football "wasteland."

The match was full of twists and turns. In the 13th minute, Egypt broke the deadlock with a clever free-kick routine: Hafez lofted a cross from the right, and Ashour rose above his marker at the back post to head home, giving the Pharaohs a 1-0 lead. After the break, Australia increased their pressure and found an equalizer in the 55th minute. O'Neill swung a left-wing free kick into the box, and Egyptian defender Mohamed Hani inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, making it 1-1. Notably, this was Hani's second own goal of the tournament, making him only the second player in World Cup history (after Bulgaria's Vutsov in 1966) to score two own goals in a single edition.

Neither side could find a winner in regular or extra time. The most dramatic moment came in the 119th minute, when Australian coach Tony Popovic made a desperate gamble: he replaced starting goalkeeper Joe Gauci with veteran Mathew Ryan in hopes of gaining an edge in the penalty shootout. The gamble failed. In the shootout, Australian captain Harry Souttar blazed the first kick over the bar, and Herrington hit the crossbar in the fourth round. For Egypt, Sabir, Rabia, and Abdelmagid all calmly converted. The standout moment came from Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah in the third round: under immense pressure, he executed a daring "Panenka" chip to fool the goalkeeper, showcasing nerves of steel. Egypt scored all four of their penalties and won 4-2, securing their first-ever World Cup knockout-stage victory in history.

Egypt's advancement not only wrote a new chapter for African football but also sealed a complete collapse for Asian teams in this World Cup. Following the tournament's expansion, the AFC had a historic 8.5 berths (with Iraq qualifying via the intercontinental playoff), yet only Japan and Australia made it to the knockout stage. After Japan fell to Brazil and Australia mustered just one shot on target before crashing out on penalties, all AFC teams have now exited the World Cup.

After the match, debates over AFC's allocation erupted among fans. Many bluntly commented, "Looks like 8.5 spots for Asia is still too many!" Others joked, "The AFC truly suffered a total wipeout—even their Oceanian 'guest' Australia couldn't hold the line." Looking at the group stage, aside from a few bright spots, most Asian teams showed clear weaknesses against stronger opponents from Europe, the Americas, and Africa—particularly in physical duels, tactical execution, and clutch play. The poor results stem from a lack of overall quality: teams with physicality lack technical skill, and those with technique lack physicality.

According to the schedule, Egypt will face the winner of Argentina vs. Cape Verde in the quarterfinals. An emotional 34-year-old Salah, with tears in his eyes, said afterward, "I said this was the game of a lifetime, and I'm so happy to write history with my brothers." For Asian football, this collective early exit serves as a stark wake-up call. How to improve core competitiveness while expanding participation remains a critical challenge for the AFC in the years ahead.

Watch the World Cup on Migu Video!#WorldCupMyTake##InkAndBallWorldCupShowdown#