Egypt World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Egypt qualified for nan World Cup unbeaten aft missing retired connected Qatar 2022, booking their summons to North America pinch a crippled to spare. They scored 19 goals successful 9 matches, arsenic Mohamed Salah led nan measurement pinch nine, conceded 2 goals and kept 7 cleanable sheets. Despite nan awesome numbers successful qualifying, Egypt’s style is pragmatic much than romanticist and they carried that aforesaid musculus representation into nan 2025 Africa Cup of Nations: tight games, heavy stretches without nan ball, speedy merchandise into Salah aliases Omar Marmoush. This was exposed by a semi-final conclusion to Senegal, erstwhile Egypt were group up much to strengthen alternatively than to control.

Egypt will astir apt statesman nan World Cup successful a 4-3-3 statement that becomes a 4-2-3-1 erstwhile they person to pursuit a game, while occasionally switching to a 3-5-2 against precocious blocks. Mohamed El-Shenawy is apt to commencement successful goal, though Mostafa Shobeir has lately been giving nan seasoned a tally for his money. The remainder of nan spine looks coagulated pinch Rami Rabia and either Hossam Abdelmaguid aliases Yasser Ibrahim successful cardinal defence. Marwan Attia and Hamdi Fathi will surface nan backline and Emam Ashour will look to present nan shot to nan trio up front.

The coach, Hossam Hassan, has efficaciously confirmed location will beryllium nary precocious tactical revolution, saying he has settled connected “90%” of nan side. He besides frames nan squad arsenic “100% locally made” compared pinch African rivals who are stocked pinch European-born players. “Hossam Hassan is wholly different from nan overseas coaches we person had before,” says nan guardant Ahmed “Zizo” Sayed. “He manages to person you that you are nan champion subordinate successful nan world moreover if you’re coming to nan campy not having been successful bully form.”

Egypt are cohesive, often difficult to people against and emotionally committed, but they tin still look blunt if opponents double up connected Salah and nan midfield cannot walk done nan press. The tie placed Egypt successful Group G pinch Belgium, Iran and New Zealand. Egypt person ne'er won a World Cup lucifer truthful ending that is nan floor-level target.

The coach

Hossam Hassan is nan nationalist team’s all-time starring scorer and a fable successful Egyptian football. As a manager, nan fanfare is considerably quieter. Across 9 clubs and 2 nationalist teams, he has won zero trophies. His assignment successful 2024 carried a nationalist reside from time one. When Egypt qualified for nan World Cup, he declared: “We are happy for this awesome time for Egyptian shot and for pleasing nan Egyptian people, headed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi [president of Egypt].”

After nan 2025 Afcon semi-final exit, Hassan blamed nan nonaccomplishment connected mosquito-infested hotels and scheduling conspiracies earlier resorting to blood-and-soil nationalism. “Egypt is nan mother of Arabs and Africa. No 1 possesses nan history we possess. We won nan African Cup 7 times. This creates jealousy. No 1 will execute what Egypt’s nationalist squad accomplished.” When a journalist pressed him connected tactical shortcomings, Hassan replied: “Your questions are impolite and show nary respect. I will not reply you. You deficiency media etiquette.” It was recognisably connected brand.

Star player

Is this nan past Egyptian hurrah for Mohamed Salah? Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

This is still Mohamed Salah’s team, moreover if nan nine type has entered a much mortal phase. For Egypt, he remains nan attacking strategy and nan affectional infrastructure. In qualification, he was decisive again, scoring doubly successful nan lucifer that secured nan World Cup spot and was nan main logic Egypt’s run did not require precocious drama. Salah turns 34 nan aforesaid time nan Pharaohs play their first group match. He is approaching nan extremity of his world profession and is acutely alert that this whitethorn beryllium his last chance to alteration that.

One to watch

FC Nordsjælland’s Ibrahim Adel is not a axenic touchline winger: he attacks nan half-space, arrives astatine nan backmost station and presses pinch much appetite than galore Egyptian attackers raised connected a counterattack diet. The 25-year-old’s lawsuit is built connected movement. He whitethorn not commencement each match, but tactically he offers thing Egypt need: a wide threat tin of carrying nan shot into nan last 3rd independently of Salah, which reduces nan team’s dependency connected a azygous right-side channel. This tourney could cement him arsenic a genuine action astatine this level, but it could besides uncover his limitations.

Unsung hero

Marwan Attia is nan benignant of midfielder who makes nan full broadside look somewhat much coherent than it is. The 27-year-old screens centre-backs, covers full-backs, kills counters, restarts attacks, receives awkward passes nether pressure, and gives Emam Ashour and nan wide players support to spell forward. After qualification, Attia said of nan World Cup arsenic a root of immense pridefulness and of nan existent generation’s imaginable to execute affirmative results, particularly “securing Egypt’s first-ever World Cup victory”.

Probable starting XI

Illustration: Guardian

What to expect from fans?

Egyptian support will beryllium present, but not socially representative. The reality is nan overwhelming mostly of Egyptians will watch from their homes aliases successful cafes, pinch a telephone surface propped against a cup of beverage if they request to. North America is not arsenic adjacent arsenic Qatar and Egypt is not portion of a visa waiver program. The $185 (£137) visa exertion interest unsocial exceeds Egypt’s existent minimum costs ($132), earlier flights, hotels aliases tickets. Expect diaspora families, wealthier Cairenes, firm guests and expatriates. The broader Ultras, historically nan astir visible and vocal unit successful Egyptian football, person been systematically repressed since 2013, proscribed arsenic violent organisations and galore of them are successful prison.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

The squad and nan EFA are not publically pro- aliases anti-American; nevertheless nan authorities narration is much telling. With Donald Trump arsenic president, Cairo has usually received warmth and less human-rights lectures. In his first term, Trump infamously called Sisi his “favourite dictator”, while his 2nd management preserved Egypt, alongside Israel, arsenic an objection successful a wider foreign-aid freeze.

The Egyptian president returned nan praise, saying that Trump “is nan only 1 tin of bringing bid to nan region”. Notably, nan World Cup flashpoint is taste alternatively than diplomatic. The EFA formally asked Fifa to artifact LGBTQ+ pridefulness activities astir Egypt v Iran successful Seattle, saying they fought pinch taste and belief values. The 2 countries person objected to nan locally branded Pride match, which coincides pinch nan city’s Pride play and was planned earlier nan tourney tie took place.

Written by Saher Ahmed for Kingfut.com