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World Cup: Salah breaks silence on Egypt’s historic qualification to the round of 16
04th July, 2026 03:23 PM
Mohamed Salah has described Egypt’s progression to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup as a historic milestone that should never be taken for granted.
The Pharaohs booked their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a tense 1-1 draw at Dallas Stadium on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Emam Ashour opened the scoring for Egypt in the 13th minute before a second-half own goal sent the grueling encounter into extra time, where Egypt held their nerve.
Defender Hossam Abdelmaguid stepped up to smash home the decisive winning penalty to seal the shootout victory.
The hard-fought win builds on an impressive tournament run for the North African giants, who previously picked up a crucial 3-1 comeback victory over New Zealand in Group G, featuring a 67th-minute goal from Salah himself.
The current squad wrote a new chapter by successfully negotiating their way into the tournament’s expanded knockout system.
Moment to enjoy
Speaking after the emotional shootout win, the Egyptian captain emphasised the importance of staying grounded while embracing the joy of the achievement.
“I always try to enjoy every moment because it will never come back. I always tell the boys to enjoy these moments,” Salah said.
“We cannot take it for granted as we have struggled to advance past the group stages in our tournament history. Now we have qualified for the Round of 16, so it is a moment to enjoy. We will do it to the maximum and then close our door and focus on the next game in the days to come,” he added.
Argentina awaits in Atlanta
The victory sets up a thrilling round of 16 showdown. Egypt will face reigning world champions Argentina at the Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
The holders secured their own passage after narrowly avoiding an all-time tournament shock, edging out a defiant Cape Verde 3-2 in a dramatic extra-time thriller.
For African football, it marks another monumental chapter on the world stage, with Egypt joining Morocco among the nations representing the continent in the high-stakes knockout rounds.
