Australia suffered a heartbreaking exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s round of 32 in a penalty shootout loss to Egypt on Friday in Arlington, TX.
In penalties, Lucas Herrington had a chance to even up the shootout 3-3, but his attempt hit the crossbar.
Lucas Herrington goes OFF THE BAR! pic.twitter.com/9rVFdbCMD9
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2026
Herrington is just 18 years old and is a very promising Australian talent who also plays in the MLS for the Colorado Rapids.
And after the match, Fox Sports World Cup studio analyst Zlatan Ibrahimović offered words of encouragement for Herrington.
Zlatan sends a message to 18-year-old Lucas Herrington who missed his penalty in Australia’s Round of 32 loss to Egypt @Ibra_officialpic.twitter.com/sMUFK6SdYs
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2026
“Penalty is like lottery,” Ibrahimović, a former Swedish soccer star player, explained. “You score, you become my hero. You don’t score; sadly, you become zero.
“But I just want to reach out to Herrington,” Ibrahimović continued. “You’re eighteen years old. You’re young. This is just the beginning of your career. You stepping up there, you show a lot of courage. Not everybody would do that. My friend, you’re the best. Don’t listen to the rest.”
“Still, I say, penalty is lottery. It’s not easy to step up there to shoot that penalty, and it’s a moment of seconds. Either it goes well, or it [doesn’t go well],” Ibrahimović added. “Listen, Herrington, if you want to reach out, I’m here.”
Ibrahimović has been a star of the World Cup coverage after being hired by Fox in March, making waves with his very honest (frequently featuring criticism) and entertainingcommentary.
And in this case, we saw an example of Ibrahimović delivering encouragement for a young athlete who could surely use it after Friday’s unfortunate loss.
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