Asia is finally wiped out! Australia falls to Egypt in a penalty shootout, ending their World Cup dream at the Round of 16... 'Pharaoh' Salah seals the deal with a phantom Panenka kick.

*This content was translated by AI.

Even Australia, the last surviving team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has been eliminated. With this loss, all Asian teams participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America have been knocked out after the Round of 32.

On the morning of the 4th (Korean time), Australia played Egypt at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA, in a Round of 32 match. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, and Australia lost 2-4 in the penalty shootout.

Only Australia and Japan had advanced from the group stage among Asian teams. Earlier, on June 30, Japan was eliminated by Brazil in the Round of 32, and now with Australia's defeat, no Asian team has reached the Round of 16.

After a tense early exchange, Egypt scored first. In the 13th minute of the first half, Karim Hafez delivered a cross from the wing, which Ezzam Ashour finished with a precise header.

Reeling from the blow, Australia pushed for an equalizer with shots by Metcalf in the 15th minute and Aziz Begić in the 35th minute of the first half but failed to score before halftime.

Australia intensified its attack in the second half and leveled the score thanks to an own goal. In the 10th minute of the second half, during a set-piece situation, Aiden O'Neill took a free kick that Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany attempted to clear but accidentally deflected into his own net, making it 1-1.

Both teams engaged in fierce back-and-forth play until just before the end of regular time. Although there were several decisive moments, including a header by Rabia following Salah's cross that was saved by the Australian goalkeeper, no additional goals were scored.

During both halves of extra time (30 minutes each), both teams maintained stable gameplay and sought to score but could not decide the match. Ultimately, the path to the Round of 16 was decided by a penalty shootout.

The outcome became clear from the very first penalty taker. Australia's first kicker, Harry Souttar, missed wide, while Egypt's Mahmoud Saver scored. Both teams' second kickers successfully converted their penalties, but Egypt's third kicker, Salah, sealed the momentum with a bold Panenka kick.

There was no turning point. Australia's fourth kicker, Herington, hit the crossbar and missed, while Egypt's Abdelmagid calmly scored the final penalty to secure victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.