Faith Nyasuguta
Mohamed Salah is expected to captain Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being included in the country’s preliminary 27-man squad ahead of the tournament scheduled for June and July 2026.
The 33-year-old forward, who is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the current season after nearly a decade at the club, remains Egypt’s most influential player. Salah has scored 67 goals in 115 appearances for the national team and will once again carry the country’s hopes on football’s biggest stage.
Egypt’s squad also includes Omar Marmoush, the winger currently playing for Manchester City, as well as highly rated 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who features for FC Barcelona Juvenil A. One of the notable omissions from the provisional squad is Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed.
Head coach Hossam Hassan is expected to trim the squad from 27 to the FIFA-required 26 players following an international friendly against Russia in Cairo on May 28.
As part of their World Cup preparations, Egypt will also face Brazil in a high-profile friendly match in Cleveland, United States, on June 6.
Egypt have been drawn into Group G for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The Pharaohs will begin their campaign against Belgium on June 15 before facing New Zealand on June 22 and Iran on June 27.
The tournament marks Egypt’s return to the global stage as the country looks to make a deeper World Cup run under Salah’s leadership.
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