Egypt players watch Real Madrid clip before penalty shootout to study Australian goalkeeper
Before their World Cup round of 16 match against Australia, Egypt's players improvised by watching a Real Madrid match on a laptop to analyze the movement of Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. The tactic worked: Egypt scored all their penalties and advanced.
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In a unique preparation for the penalty shootout against Australia in the World Cup round of 16, Egypt's players gathered around a laptop to watch a Real Madrid match. Their target: studying the movements of Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, who had played in that match.
The improvisation paid off. Egypt successfully converted all of their penalty kicks, eliminating Australia from the tournament. With the victory, Egypt advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face either Argentina or Cape Verde.
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 teams, divided into 12 groups. The top two from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, qualify for the knockout stage. The group stage ends on June 27, with knockout matches starting June 28. Semifinals are scheduled for July 14 and 15, the bronze medal match on July 18, and the final on July 19.
The previous World Cup in 2022, held in Qatar, was won by Argentina, who defeated France in a penalty shootout in the final.
