Egypt vs. Australia: Everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown
Egypt and Australia meet Friday afternoon with a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on the line, as two nations look to make history in Arlington, Texas.
Egypt advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in the modern World Cup era behind star forward Mohamed Salah, while Australia seeks its first-ever victory in a World Cup knockout match. The winner will face either Argentina or Cape Verde in the Round of 16.
Match information
Match: Egypt vs. Australia
Tournament: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32
Date: Friday, July 3
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EDT (1 p.m. CDT local)
Venue: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), Arlington, Texas
TV (United States): FOX (English), Telemundo (Spanish)
Streaming: FOX Sports App, FOX One, Fubo, Sling TV and Peacock (Spanish).
Radio: FOX Sports Radio affiliates, iHeartRadio and Fútbol de Primera Radio.
Weather
Outside: Expect hot North Texas conditions with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s Fahrenheit at kickoff and only a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms.
Inside the stadium: AT&T Stadium’s retractable roof and climate-controlled environment are expected to keep temperatures around 72 degrees, providing comfortable playing conditions despite the Texas heat outside.
Stadium information
Venue: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)
Location: Arlington, Texas
Capacity: Approximately 80,000 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup configuration.
One of the world’s largest sporting venues, AT&T Stadium is hosting multiple knockout matches during the tournament and features a retractable roof and one of the largest center-hung video boards in sports.
Official FIFA World Rankings
- Egypt: No. 32
- Australia: No. 24
Betting odds
Consensus odds entering Friday:
- Egypt: approximately +150
- Draw: approximately +190
- Australia: approximately +230
- Over/Under: 2.5 goals
Odds vary by sportsbook and are subject to change.
Group stage recap
Egypt: 5 points (1-2-0), finished second in Group G after drawing Belgium (1-1), defeating New Zealand (3-1) and drawing Iran (1-1).
Australia: 4 points (1-1-1), finished second in Group D after defeating Türkiye (2-0), losing to the United States and drawing Paraguay (0-0).
Players to watch
Egypt
- Mohamed Salah
- Omar Marmoush
- Mostafa Mohamed
- Mahmoud Trézéguet
- Mohamed Elneny
Australia
- Harry Souttar
- Alessandro Circati
- Nestory Irankunda
- Martin Boyle
- Awer Mabil
Salah enters the match fit after recovering from a hamstring injury that limited him earlier in the tournament.
Series history
This will be just the third all-time meeting between Egypt and Australia and their first-ever FIFA World Cup matchup.
Key storyline
Australia has never won a knockout match at a FIFA World Cup, losing previous Round of 16 appearances to eventual champions Italy in 2006 and Argentina in 2022. Tony Popovic’s squad now has an opportunity to make national team history.
Egypt, meanwhile, reached the knockout stage behind an unbeaten group campaign and hopes Salah can deliver another signature World Cup performance.
Interesting facts
- Australia is appearing in the World Cup knockout stage for the third time in its history.
- Egypt is playing in its first World Cup knockout match of the modern era after advancing from the group stage for the first time.
- Mohamed Salah enters the match with 68 international goals, one shy of Egypt coach Hossam Hassan’s national team record.
- The winner advances to face either defending champion Argentina or Cape Verde in the Round of 16.
What’s at stake?
The winner advances to the Round of 16.
The loser is eliminated from the FIFA World Cup.
Prediction
Australia’s disciplined defense should keep the match close, but Egypt enters with more attacking firepower and confidence after an unbeaten group stage. If Salah and Omar Marmoush find space in transition, Egypt has enough quality to break down the Socceroos.
Expect Australia to make things difficult for 90 minutes, but Egypt’s difference-makers prove decisive.
Prediction: Egypt 2, Australia 1.
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