Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic offered words of encouragement to Australian teenager Lucas Herrington after the 18-year-old's penalty miss against Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round-of-32 shootout. The match, held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 3, 2026, ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Egypt winning 4-2 on penalties.
Heartbreak for Australia
Herrington, an 18-year-old center back, struck the crossbar with Australia's fourth spot-kick, allowing Egypt's Hossam Abdelmaguid to seal victory. Harry Souttar also missed for Australia, extending the Socceroos' wait for a first knockout-round victory at the World Cup. Australia started six players aged 23 or younger, including Herrington.
Ibrahimovic's Message of Support
Ibrahimovic, working as a World Cup analyst for Fox, said: "Penalty is like lottery. You score, you become a hero, you don’t score, sadly you become zero. I just want to reach out to Herrington. You’re 18-years-old, you’re young, this is just the beginning of your career. 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’m here."
Herrington's Response
Herrington expressed gratitude for Ibrahimovic's support, stating: "I’m 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. 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 didn’t go my way."
