Football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic offered words of encouragement to Australian teenager Lucas Herrington after the 18-year-old missed a crucial penalty in Australia's round of 32 defeat to Egypt at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Dallas on Friday.
Egypt creates history with first knockout win
Egypt secured a historic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Australia after the match ended 1-1 following extra time. This marked Egypt's first-ever World Cup knockout stage win, earning them a spot in the round of 16 against defending champions Argentina.
Herrington, 18, stepped up for Australia's fourth penalty but struck the crossbar. Egypt's Hossam Abdelmaguid then converted the decisive spot-kick to seal the win.
Ibrahimovic's message to the youngster
Speaking on Fox, as quoted by Reuters, Ibrahimovic said: "A penalty is like a lottery. You score, you become a hero, you do not score, sadly, you become zero. I just want to reach out to Herrington. You are 18-years-old, you are young, this is just the beginning of your career."
He added: "You stepping up there, you showed a lot of courage, not everybody will do that. My friend, you're the best. Don't listen to the rest. But listen, Herrington, if you want to reach out, I am here."
Herrington responds with gratitude
Herrington later said the legend's words "mean a lot," adding: "I am probably the first one to be knocking myself down and being hard on myself, so to hear that from a legend of the game means a lot."
The teenager also revealed that the coaching staff supported him: "I think a lot of people would be wondering why I stepped up. The coaching side of the team had my back - they believed in me. I made my penalties during the week. We practiced it. I was confident, so it was just... I knew where I wanted to put it. I did my routine and, unfortunately, it did not go my way."
Australia's young squad shows promise
Six of Australia's starters in the match were aged 23 or younger, making their World Cup journey remarkable despite the elimination. The team's inexperience was evident but also highlighted a bright future for Australian football.
