World Cup 2026 · Group GEgyptFixtures, Analysis & Squad

Egypt return to the World Cup for the first time since 1990, carrying 36 years of absence and the individual brilliance of one of the game's all-time forwards. Their CAF qualifying run was quietly exceptional: ten matches unbeaten, two goals conceded, and seven clean sheets across the campaign. That defensive solidity is the foundation Hossam Hassan builds from.

Mohamed Salah anchors everything. Egypt's captain arrives with 67 goals in 116 international appearances and nine qualifying goals — which made him the all-time leading scorer in CAF World Cup qualifying history at 20 career strikes. He needs two goals to surpass Hassan's national record of 69. He is 34, departing Liverpool this summer, and this is almost certainly his final World Cup. The personal stakes make him one of the tournament's more compelling narratives.

Alongside him, Omar Marmoush provides pressing intensity and the finishing craft of an elite partner after his breakout season at Manchester City. The combination can dismantle defenses at the highest level — though both Salah and Marmoush missed penalties in Egypt's AFCON 2025 third-place defeat to Nigeria in January 2026, a confidence footnote worth keeping in mind. The squad also includes 18-year-old Hamza Abdel Karim, a Barcelona B forward on loan from Al Ahly whose inclusion signals Hassan's willingness to integrate youth.

Squad selection carried notable omissions. As of late May 2026, both Mostafa Mohamed and Mohamed Elneny were left out of the final 26. Hassan cited technical reasons for the Mostafa Mohamed decision, pointing to a difficult Ligue 1 season — four goals in 24 appearances as Nantes were relegated. Tactical shape is a 4-2-3-1 that prioritizes defensive compactness, a narrow midfield, and selective full-back advances designed to release Salah and Marmoush into transition. Reports suggest Hassan has occasionally used a 3-4-1-2 variant, though that has not been confirmed by primary coaching sources.

Seventeen of the 26-man squad come from Egyptian clubs, which raises legitimate questions about the quality jump from African competition to facing Belgium-level opposition. It is not disqualifying, but it means the two European-based forwards carry an outsized burden.

Group G offers a navigable path. New Zealand are the most accessible opponent. Belgium are the clear group favorites. Iran, whom Egypt face in Seattle on June 27, could be the decisive second-place match — and it represents the realistic critical fixture. Egypt's ceiling at this tournament is a Round of 16 appearance, which would itself be historic: Egypt have never won a FIFA World Cup match in any previous appearance. Hossam Hassan — who played for Egypt at the 1990 tournament — would become the first person ever to take Egypt to a World Cup as both player and head coach.

Whether that first-ever knockout berth materializes depends almost entirely on whether Salah produces at 34. The conditions are there; the margin for error is narrow.