Egypt Face Australia in Round of 32 as Pharaohs Chase New World Cup Step

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published June 28, 2026

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Egypt will face Australia in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup on Friday, July 3, in Dallas, in one of the key upcoming fixtures for Arab football fans. The match gives the Pharaohs another chance to extend their run in a tournament that has already seen a strong Arab presence in the knockout stage.

Egypt reached the last 32 after a tense 1-1 draw with Iran in their final Group G match, a result that confirmed Egypt’s progress while leaving Iran waiting on other results before later being eliminated. Reuters reported that Egypt moved into the knockout stage after the draw, with Iran’s late hopes eventually ending following the Austria-Algeria result.

The match against Australia now becomes a direct-elimination test, with no room for recovery if either side falls short. For Egypt, the fixture carries both sporting and symbolic importance, as a win would take the national team into the Round of 16 and strengthen the Arab storyline of this World Cup.

Australia enter the match with their own motivation, as the Socceroos are looking to move deeper into the tournament after setting up a last-32 meeting with Egypt. The Guardian described the fixture as Australia’s first World Cup meeting with the Pharaohs, adding further weight to a matchup that brings together two teams with very different football identities and ambitions.

Mohamed Salah’s fitness will be one of the main points to watch before kickoff. Reuters reported that Salah was substituted during Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Iran after complaining of pain, and later scans confirmed a hamstring strain, with no immediate confirmation from the Egyptian Football Association on whether he would be fit for the Australia match.

Egypt’s game comes amid a broader Arab presence in the Round of 32, with Morocco facing the Netherlands and Algeria meeting Switzerland in Vancouver. That makes the knockout stage especially important for Arab audiences in Canada and around the world, as more than one Arab team remains alive beyond the group stage.

For Arab communities in Canada, the Egypt-Australia match is expected to be one of the most closely followed fixtures of the round. Egypt will be chasing a new step in its World Cup journey, while Australia will try to turn a difficult knockout test into a historic result of its own.