Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Socceroos vs Egypt has become Australia’s chance to make World Cup history, with Ajdin Hrustic urging the national team to take their moment in Friday’s knockout clash at Dallas Stadium.
The expanded 48-team format means Australia are technically starting the knockout phase in the final 32, rather than the last 16 they reached in 2022. But for Hrustic and the Socceroos, the target is simple: win a World Cup knockout match for the first time.
For more tactical build-up to the fixture, read Australia vs Egypt: Key Coaching Lessons For Socceroos Before World Cup Clash, while official tournament updates are available through the FIFA World Cup 2026 page.
Hrustic Wants Australia To Take The Extra Step
"There's a round of 32 now, so it's an extra step, but that extra step can be sweet, can't it?" playmaker Ajdin Hrustic, a member of the 2022 squad that reached the round of 16, said.
"Do something special against Egypt, and then we'll see who's going to be the next opponent and just take it from there."
Hrustic believes this Australian squad can be the group that finally breaks through. The memory of Qatar still sits in the background, but this team has its own chance to push further.
"It most likely will happen one day, and it can be us, right?" Hrustic said ahead of relocating to Dallas.
Young Squad Ready For Pressure
Australia have eight players aged 23 or under in the squad, but Hrustic sees youth as a strength rather than a concern.
"Sometimes it's good to be young, right? Because you don't think, you just go for it," Hrustic said.
The Socceroos scored twice against Turkey but were shut out by the United States and Paraguay. Against Egypt, Hrustic expects space to open if Australia handle the press well.
"As a creative kind of player, I still think that zero (goals conceded) is the most important," he said.
"Because you will get a chance, right, and it's about taking that chance."
That clean-sheet mindset could shape the match. Australia need patience, compact defending and sharp decision-making when Egypt leave gaps.
If the Socceroos deliver, Hrustic knows Melbourne will be awake for it.
He quipped: "They'll leave the club at 3am and prepare for the game at 4am."
