Australia’s ambassador to Egypt, Axel Wabenhorst, lost a bet with his wife, who was supporting the Egyptian national team during their match against Australia on Friday evening in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The Egyptian national team qualified for the round of 16 of the tournament for the first time in its history, after defeating Australia on penalties (4-2), after the original and extra time ended in a draw (1-1).
The ambassador appeared in an interview published by the website "Cairo 24" alongside his wife, where they revealed a friendly bet they had made before the match. His wife, a supporter of the Egyptian national team, expressed her confidence in a Pharaohs victory, while the ambassador chose to support his home country, Australia.
During the meeting, the ambassador's wife said: "I am Egyptian and I support Egypt... and I assure you that Egypt will win," which was indeed proven true at the end of the match.
After the Egyptian team won, the ambassador lost the bet, and was forced to fulfill the agreement, which stipulated that the loser would provide a dinner for both of them, in a gesture that received widespread praise from followers across social media platforms.
The Australian Embassy in Cairo congratulated the Egyptian national team on their victory over their national team, saying in a post on Twitter: "Congratulations, Pharaohs."
She added: "The Australian Embassy was proud to host a special screening of the historic and exciting match between Australia and Egypt. It was a close match, but we congratulate the Egyptian team and wish them the best of luck in the next round."
Egypt has a date in the round of 16 of the tournament next Tuesday with its Argentinian counterpart, which qualified after a hard-fought victory over Cape Verde (3-2).
