Published on 6/29/2026
After his first participation in the FIFA World Cup at the age of eighteen, Lucas Herrington hopes that the task of stopping Mohamed Salah will be the next stop in his rapidly progressing career.
There are doubts about the participation of Egyptian national team captain Mohamed Salah in the round of 32 match against Australia, after he suffered a hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Iran.
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However, Herrington, who plays as a centre-back, hopes that the current Liverpool star will be ready to participate in the match that will be held in Arlington, Texas, on Friday.
“It’s great to face players like that,” Herrington told reporters at the Australian team’s camp in the San Francisco Bay Area. “In fact, this is the level you want to be at, and these are the players you want to face. So to have this opportunity, if it happens, will be something special, and I’m very excited about it.”
Herrington became the youngest Australian player to start a World Cup match when he started in the decisive match against Paraguay in the group stage.
In only his fifth international match, he performed almost flawlessly during a goalless draw with the team from South America, a result that ensured that Australia would face Egypt as the second-placed team in Group D, instead of facing Germany if it had finished the group in third place.
The Colorado Rapids player said: “That was the best moment of my life. I knew how important that match was, not only for us, but for the entire country. I was looking forward to it. I have dreamed of this moment since my childhood, and I just wanted to live it and enjoy it.”
More golden moments may await Herrington in the near future.
Coach Tony Popovich’s team is seeking to achieve Australia’s first victory in a World Cup elimination match.
Herrington has also recently been linked with a move to Barcelona, which is not surprising to his teammates.
Midfielder Connor Metcalfe said that some players may feel concerned about the promising player’s decisions when he is under pressure in defence.
He added: “Nothing really seems to bother him, and he never seems nervous. I personally don’t feel anxious when he has the ball.”
