In the process, they conceded three goals — one in each match — and scored five.They secured second place in the group after drawing 1-1 with Iran in a dramatic match, in which a goal that would have handed Iran a victory was ruled out by VAR in stoppage time.The Egyptians also emerged unbeaten from the qualifying rounds of the 2026 World Cup, winning eight and drawing two of those matches.The knockout round match will be the first time Egypt and Australia have faced each other at the World Cup.It's also the first time the Pharaohs have advanced beyond the tournament's group stage They play kind of fearlessly, which is a typical African-Arab kind of way of playing football," Foxe said."A lot of their players play in their local league, but their local league is strong."According to the latest official FIFA rankings, Egypt is ranked 26th, just two below Australia, and the match is expected to be close.The Opta supercomputer, which forecasts outcomes of sports tournaments, has predicted that the Socceroos have a roughly 46 per cent chance of beating Egypt and securing their first knockout win in the tournament.The two have played twice before, with Australia winning a President's Cup match on penalties in 1987 and losing a friendly in Cairo 3-0 in 2010.You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.