Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine expressed his disappointment after the Socceroos were eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Egypt in the Round of 32 on Friday.
Australia bowed out after drawing 1-1 over 120 minutes before losing 4-2 in the penalty shootout. The defeat meant the Socceroos once again failed to secure a victory in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
“Losing on penalties is painful,” Irvine said, as quoted by the official FIFA website on Saturday.
“But anyone who has the courage to step up and take a penalty after playing for 120 minutes, or however long the match lasts, shows incredible character,” he added.
Australia Lose to Egypt on Penalties at the 2026 World Cup
Australia fell behind after Emam Ashour opened the scoring for Egypt. However, Tony Popovic’s side managed to equalize through an own goal by Mohamed Hany, sending the match into extra time.
With neither side able to find a winner, the match was decided by a penalty shootout. Australia ultimately fell short after Harry Souttar and Lucas Harrington both failed to convert their spot kicks, allowing Egypt to claim a 4-2 victory on penalties.
Irvine hopes the disappointment will not lead to criticism of Souttar and Harrington, insisting both players deserve the full support of fans.
“I hope everyone continues to support them and stands behind them completely. From the very beginning, we’ve said that we are a championship team, and our greatest strength is this group,” Irvine said.
The result extends Australia’s wait for a first-ever victory in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. The Socceroos were also eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2006, losing 2-1 to Italy, and again in 2022, when they were defeated 2-1 by Argentina.***
