si.com
The Australian national football team was considered the big underdog in Group D ahead of the 2026 World Cup. While they ultimately didn't manage to win the group, Tony Popovic's team surprisingly secured second place with four out of a possible nine points, finishing ahead of both Germany-beaters Paraguay and a disappointed Turkey. Just like at the 2022 World Cup, the Australians have reached the knockout stage, which they now hope to successfully navigate for the first time. So far, the plan has worked. The Australians kept a clean sheet in two of their three preliminary matches, conceding just two goals in total. However, this style of play repeatedly came at the expense of their offensive firepower. The Australians managed just two goals in the group stage. Furthermore, they failed to score in three of their last five international matches, of which they only managed one win. Egypt as seven-time African champions, is undoubtedly one of the continent's strongest representatives. The Pharaohs have lost only one of their subsequent eight international matches recording three wins and four draws. In the group stage, they even managed a 1-1 draw against World Cup dark horses Belgium, before a 3-1 victory against New Zealand and a subsequent 1-1 draw against Iran were enough to secure their first-ever qualification for the knockout stage of a World Cup. Egypt also finished second in their group.
