27 June 2026
Salah Scare as Egypt Limp Into Last 32 Against Socceroos
Egypt scraped through to the World Cup knockout stage but were left sweating on the fitness of Mohamed Salah after he left the field with an ice pack on his hamstring.
Egypt's place in the World Cup round of 32 came at a cost, with The Guardian reporting that forward Mohamed Salah was pictured on the bench with an ice pack on his left hamstring after being substituted during the draw with Iran. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed Salah requested to come off and said the player would need to be assessed before their next match.
Despite the scare, Egypt did enough to finish second in their group and will now face the Australian Socceroos in Dallas. According to The Guardian, a dramatic late surge by Belgium against New Zealand shifted the group picture considerably, with Belgium ending up top on goal difference and pushing Egypt into second place.
For Australia, the draw produced a more favourable opponent than they had feared. The Socceroos will travel from their base in Oakland to Dallas, arriving three days before their last-32 tie against Egypt.
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