Egypt prepared for their World Cup penalty shootout victory over Australia by watching a clip of a Kylian Mbappe penalty.

The African nation booked their place in the last 16 with a 4-2 win on penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes. The Aussies made a tactical change ahead of the shootout, opting to bring on former Arsenal goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.

That substitution made no difference as Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington missed their spot-kicks. Ryan didn’t manage to save a single one of the Egyptians’, including Mohamed Salah, who produced a clever finish.

Egypt studied Ryan vs Mbappe

Hannah McKay via Action Images via Reuters

One of the Egyptians’ coaching team brought out a laptop and showed the players a clip of Mbappe scoring a penalty in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Levante in January. This had evidently been pre-planned and to ensure Hossam Hassan’s men weren’t distracted by Ryan.

The Australian goalkeeper had been in goal for Mbappe’s spot-kick and tried to put the French forward off by moving side to side along his goal line. He ended up getting sent the wrong way, and that was the case for most of the Round of 32 shootout.

There is a chance the African country expected their opponents to make the goalkeeping change and knew what to expect. Mbappe mocked Ryan after scoring his penalty, which will have undoubtedly irked the former Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper.

Being eliminated from the World Cup will have hurt even more, especially when given the opportunity to be your country’s hero. Instead, he and the Socceroos have bowed out of the competition while Egypt head into the last 16, where they will meet either Argentina or Cape Verde.

Australia penalty selection stirs up controversy

Kai Pfaffenbach via Action Images via Reuters

Ryan’s failure to save any of Egypt’s penalties wasn’t what ultimately cost Tony Popovic’s side. Misses from Souttar and Herrington meant they were knocked out in the first knockout round.

There has since been backlash over those selected to take penalties, as two centre-backs were among the four chosen. Leicester City’s Souttar is their captain and perhaps felt confident enough to step up and get his side off the mark.

Souttar failed, as did Herrington, with the deciding spot-kick with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Selecting the Colorado Rapids defender hasn’t gone down well given he’s only 18.

The others to take penalties included St Pauli midfielder Jackson Irvine and Kenyan-born winger Awer Mabil. They tucked their spot-kicks away, but one has to wonder why other attackers weren’t prioritised over Souttar and Herrington.

How England players really feel about the rumoured kick-off time change for their World Cup Round of 16 tie against Mexico has emerged as Thomas Tuchel’s side continue to have their preparations thrown into chaos ahead of Sunday’s clash.

FIFA are yet to confirm the switch, but local media expect the fixture to be brought forward by six hours, meaning the Three Lions would kick off at 7pm in the UK, rather than 1am on Monday morning. With altitude already set to be a major hurdle, preparations have hardly been plain sailing.

Concerns have been compounded by a potentially hostile atmosphere after Ecuador lodged official complaints against El Tri, as fans let off fireworks and banged drums in the early hours outside their team hotel ahead of the Round of 32.

How England Players Feel About Potential Kick-Off Change vs Mexico

Cody Grubbs (Sipa USA via Reuters)

The prospect of a kick-off change has now thrown another spanner in the works as England enter the final stages of their preparations, as Mexico City weather forecasts are currently suggesting temperatures could soar to 35 degrees during the midday sunshine.

Despite that, both Morgan Rogers and Marcus Rashford have downplayed the perception that the change has much of an impact on the team. The former said (watch below):

Rashford has doubled down on his teammates’ judgement, claiming “It’s a game of football at the end of the day.” The Manchester United winger continued (watch below):

England FA Reportedly Stunned After Being ‘Left in the Dark’ About Changes

England manager Thomas Tuchel via REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

According to the Mirror, the English FA hasn’t taken the same optimistic approach to the alleged changes. They are said to be stunned after being left in the dark over a FIFA plan to bring forward their World Cup last 16 clash.

Neither they nor the Mexican Football Federation have yet received confirmation of the change so far, despite widespread reports in Mexico City that the match has already been switched.

The FA are believed to be deeply concerned about the effect this will have on England fans and how they will get to the historic Azteca Stadium. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what will happen to the UK’s emergency law change that has allowed pubs to remain open until 5am.

Canada boss Jesse Marsch has firmly ruled out the possibility of becoming manager of the United States national team in the future.

The former Leeds United boss has guided Canada to the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in their history. He oversaw a 1-0 win over South Africa to book his side a meeting with Morocco on Saturday (July 4th).

Marsch took over the Canucks back in May 2024 and has fully immersed himself in the role. So much so that some of his man-management tactics, including an impassioned post-match speech to his players, have irked American fans.

“Never” – Jesse Marsch on USA job

Lisi Niesner via Reuters

The USA nearly appointed Marsch back in April 2023, and he turned down a lucrative contract offer from Leicester City believing he had the job in the bag. He waited for another opportunity to enter international management, and that came with Canada almost a year later.

Marsch has since earned plaudits for transforming Canadian football, and he has become the first coach to lead them to two World Cup victories. There are some who feel the Wisconsin-born tactician should be a contender for the USMNT managerial role further down the line.

Asked by TIME whether he’d ever consider taking charge of his country of birth, he responded:

Marsch signed a new four-year contract extension in May, keeping him tied to the Canada national team until June 2030. The USMNT, meanwhile, landed Mauricio Pochettino as their manager in September 2024, and the former Tottenham Hotspur boss has been equally impressive while leading the Stars and Stripes.

The Argentine has taken the co-hosts to the Round of 16, where they face Belgium next Tuesday (July 7th). SportsMole reports that he has been offered a new four-year deal which would run until the same date Marsch’s new deal with the Canadians expires.

Why USA turned Jesse Marsch down

Matthew Childs via Reuters

Marsch admitted he was “devastated and angry” after the USMNT made a U-turn over appointing him as Gregg Berhalter’s successor three years ago. The Americans turned back to Berhalter who lasted just one year into a second reign before being sacked after his nation crashed out of Copa America in the group stages.

The USA conducted an independent investigation into Berhalter’s off-field behaviour at the time. They lined Marsch up as his replacement but the American federation trusted in the bond built between players and Berhalter.

Marsch explained to GIVEMESPORT at the time:

Marsch is becoming a hero in Canada amid a stellar World Cup campaign, and a win over Morocco would be the stuff of dreams for the Great White North. They head into that game as underdogs, up against Africa’s strongest nation, who made the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.