Egypt's captain Mohamed Salah has been named to start in the last-32 World Cup match against Australia in Texas, following a recent hamstring issue. This marks his return to the lineup after dealing with the injury.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Morocco and Egypt have successfully advanced to the Round of 16, becoming two of the ten African nations competing in the tournament. They qualified from the initial round of 32 after completing the group stages, marking a significant achievement for African representation in the event.

Morocco and Egypt have qualified for the round of 16 in the ongoing FIFA World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Morocco, which reached the semi-finals in 2022, and Egypt, making its debut in the knockout stages, are the two African representatives in this phase of the tournament. Morocco notably defeated the Netherlands, who are three-time finalists, to secure their spot.

Mohamed Salah expressed his enjoyment of Egypt's historic performance at the World Cup, highlighting it as the best in the nation's history. He also looks forward to facing Lionel Messi in the upcoming match, which adds to the excitement of the tournament.

Egypt has made history by becoming the second African nation to advance to the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, according to SABC Sport.

Morocco achieved a historic milestone by securing a record-breaking victory against Canada, advancing to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. This win marks Morocco as the first of Africa's two remaining representatives to reach this stage, with Egypt also progressing to the Round of 16. The team is now one victory away from a potential appearance in the semi-finals.