Behind Socceroos' shot at winning a World Cup knockout match for the first time

Australia's World Cup dream has a new obstacle: Egypt, a dangerous opponent that arrives in the knockout stages of this year's tournament unbeaten. The Socceroos will face the Pharaohs in the Round of 32 match at 4am AEST on Saturday, as the Australian side chases a historic first-ever World Cup knockout win. Playing a key role will be teenage sensation Lucas Herrington, the defender who's fielding interest from some of the world's biggest clubs. But Herrington says he's entirely focused on representing his country. The knockout round match will be the first time Egypt and Australia have faced each other at the World Cup. According to the latest official FIFA rankings, Egypt is ranked 26th, just two below Australia, and the match is expected to be close. The Opta supercomputer, which forecasts outcomes of sports tournaments, has predicted that the Socceroos have a roughly 46 per cent chance of beating Egypt and securing their first knockout win in the tournament. The two have played twice before, with Australia winning a President's Cup match on penalties in 1987 and losing a friendly in Cairo 3-0 in 2010. SBS News is Australia's trusted news source for the latest news from Australia and across the world. Subscribe to the SBS News YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SBSNews Follow SBS News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbsnews_au Follow SBS News on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sbsnews_au Follow SBS News on X: https://www.twitter.com/SBSNews Follow SBS News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sbsnews Apple News: https://trib.al/MTx0gUe For the latest news, visit www.sbs.com.au/news Network Terms & Conditions: https://sbs.com.au/terms Privacy Policy: https://sbs.com.au/privacy Feedback or complaints: https://sbs.com.au/complaints