The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout rounds are underway, and the round of 32 welcomes Australia and Egypt in a battle for a place in the round of 16. The two sides are on the hunt for their first-ever round of 16 appearance.
Egypt already reached a milestone by advancing into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history. The Pharaohs secured a spot in the knockouts with a second-place finish in Group G behind Belgium, following two draws and a 3-1 win against New Zealand during group play, though now there are some Injury concerns over Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Abdelmonem, and Ahmed Fattouh.
There's also Mohanad Lasheen, who is out on suspension for this match. If Salah's hamstring proves a bigger issue, then manager Hossam Hassan will need to make the most of their typical mid-block with Omar Marmoush and Emam Ashour.
Australia punched their ticket to the knockouts with a second-place finish in Group D. They defeated Turkey 2-0 before fizzling out of the group with a 2-0 loss to the United States and a scoreless draw with Paraguay.
The Socceroos will manage without Mathew Leckie (hamstring) and Jacob Italiano (adductor) as the duo have officially left camp. Head coach Tony Popovic will match a similar energy to Egypt with stretches of the game where they pick and choose the moments to counter and strike. The midfielders Jackson Irvine and Aiden O'Neill will work to get Nestory Irankunda going on the counters.
How to watch Australia vs. Egypt
Date: Friday, July 3 | Time: 2 p.m. ET Location: ATT Stadium -- Dallas, Texas TV: Fox (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Australia +1250 | Draw +700 | Egypt -600
Australia vs. Egypt predicted starting lineups
Australia: Patrick Beach; Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Lucas Herrington; Jordan Bos, Jackson Irvine, Aiden O'Neill, Aziz Behich; Cristian Volpato, Conor Metcalfe; Nestory Irankunda
Egypt: Mostafa Shobeir; Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Ramy Rabia, Karim Hafez; Marwan Ateya, Hamdy Fathy; Mostafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah, Emam Ashour; Omar Marmoush
Keep up with the World Cup standings here.
Australia vs. Egypt pick, prediction
Two teams managing injuries with everything to play for will hopefully lead to some fun football for neutrals. Pick: Australia 1, Egypt 2
Check out our World Cup expert predictions.
Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups. The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
