Tony Popovic, head coach of the Australian national team, defended his decision to substitute the goalkeeper just minutes before the penalty shootout against Egypt in the Round of 32 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Australia exited the World Cup after losing 4-2 on penalties to the Pharaohs, following a 1-1 draw after extra time at the Dallas stadium.

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Popovic decided to replace starting goalkeeper Patrick Beach just two minutes before the end of the second extra-time period, bringing on veteran goalkeeper Mat Ryan in hopes of leveraging his experience in penalty saves. The Australian coach said, as quoted by Fox Sports: 'This option was always available to us because of Mat Ryan's experience. You have to follow the flow of the match; sometimes you might have to make substitutions due to injuries during extra time, but when the opportunity arose two minutes before the end, we decided to bring him on.' In other comments to The Guardian, Popovic expressed his sorrow after the elimination, saying: 'It's very painful, but we showed the world the strength of Australian football. I am hugely disappointed not to qualify; returning home this way is tough.' He added: 'It takes great courage to step up and take penalties, and I am proud of what the players achieved. We proved how good this team is, and I am confident every Australian who watched the match feels proud of our World Cup performance, despite the bitterness of the exit.'