Mohamed Salah, Egypt's star and captain, expressed his pride in the achievement of the "Pharaohs" in qualifying for the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Egypt made history in their current World Cup campaign by reaching the round of 16 for the first time ever, following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Australia after the match ended 1-1 after both regular and extra time.
Salah, who won the man-of-the-match award, said in his post-match remarks: "I feel immense happiness at winning the match and qualifying for the round of 16 — it is a historic achievement for Egyptian football."
Tears streamed down Salah's face immediately after the final whistle in a moving scene that laid bare the weight of the pressure the Pharaohs' captain had been carrying, as he writes a new chapter in his career having led the Egyptian national team to this stage for the first time.
Salah added, in comments to beIN Sports: "I told my teammates that we are playing on the world stage — show your quality as players."
On his audacity in taking his penalty in the Panenka style, he said: "Of course, if there is someone who is going to take a penalty the Panenka way, it will be me. I decided to take it that way at the last moment, and I said if this is my last World Cup, then I have to take it that way."
Salah also commented on the possibility of facing Argentine star Lionel Messi in the next round, affirming that the Egyptian team respects all teams and that he must celebrate first before thinking about the next match.