Egypt reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history after a dramatic 1-1 draw with Iran, but the biggest lesson from their Group G campaign is that this side has finally developed the resilience needed to survive tournament football.
By the time the final whistle sounded in Seattle, there was no shortage of drama. Iran thought they had won it deep into stoppage time, only for Shoja Khalilzadeh's goal to be ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review before Saeid Ezatolahi rattled the crossbar with virtually the last touch of the game.
For Egypt, however, the draw was enough.
Having already seen results elsewhere guarantee qualification before kick-off, Hossam Hassan's side finished second behind Belgium and will now face Australia in the Round of 32. More importantly, they remain unbeaten after navigating a difficult group.
Composure under pressure
This was far from Egypt's most polished performance.
Mahmoud Saber gave them the perfect start, firing through a crowded penalty area after just five minutes, but Iran responded impressively. Although Mostafa Shobeir brilliantly denied Mehdi Taremi from the penalty spot, Ramin Rezaeian quickly levelled from the rebound and the momentum shifted.
Even as the game became increasingly chaotic during the closing stages, Egypt rarely panicked.
It wasn't pretty, but Egypt found a way to get the result they needed.
Team effort
Another encouraging sign is that Egypt are no longer completely dependent on Mohamed Salah.
The captain was substituted just before the hour after feeling discomfort in his left leg, with Hossam Hassan later revealing Salah himself had requested to come off. Although the Egypt coach quickly eased concerns by suggesting the issue was not serious, seeing their biggest star leave the pitch could easily have unsettled the team.
Instead, they continued to compete.
Saber scored, Shobeir made key saves and Egypt's defence held firm under late pressure. That team effort could be crucial in the knockout rounds.
Eyes on Australia
The reward for finishing runners-up is a meeting with Australia, a tie Egypt will believe offers a genuine opportunity to reach the last 16.
Australia will provide another tough test. They are well organised and will make Egypt work for every chance.
But Egypt have shown they can handle pressure. They are unbeaten, have defended well and have had different players step up when needed.
Against Iran, they proved they can handle difficult moments. That resilience could be their biggest strength as they head into the knockout stage.
