Australia’s 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup journey came to an end at the hands of Egypt in Dallas overnight.
The Socceroos, led by Tony Popovic, Melbourne Victory Head Coach from 2021 to 2024, were penalties away from winning a first knockout tie in the competition’s history.
Instead, it was their opponents from North East Africa who prevailed from the spot, winning the shootout 4-2 in Texas after the teams could not be separated over 120 minutes of an engrossing Round of 32 showdown.
A brave effort on the global stage was epitomised by a second-half fightback, which saw Australia cancel out Egypt’s opener before pushing for a winner in the remainder of regulation time and during the additional half hour.
The Socceroos’ options included Victory attacker Nishan Velupillay, whose efforts off the bench in the Group D win over Turkey earned him a start against tournament co-hosts the USA. Popovic’s 26-player squad also included former Victory players Paul Izzo and Jason Geria.
The nation’s World Cup stars will next wear the green and gold in September when Queensland stages an international friendly doubleheader against Brazil – a month before the 2026/27 A-League season starts.
