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Egypt’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 continued with a series of international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Spain.

The Pharaohs’ squad for the World Cup is taking final shape, with players having just a few more opportunities to secure their spots in the team.

Led by Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, Hossam Hassan’s side could pose a few surprises at the 2026 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While Egypt are often among the favourites in continental competitions, they will not be considered one of the leading contenders on the global stage. Nevertheless, their build-up has been more competitive than that of many other nations. A largely home-based squad was eliminated in the group stage of the Arab Cup in December, followed by a semi-final exit to Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt qualified for the World Cup in convincing fashion, with Mohamed Salah playing a pivotal role. Ranked No.1 on FourFourTwo’s list of the greatest African footballers of all time, Salah is now the top scorer in CAF World Cup qualifiers, with 20 goals—nine of which came during the qualification campaign for the 2026 finals.

Having confirmed his departure from Liverpool at the end of the 2025–26 season, Salah missed the March international fixtures due to injury. In his absence, former Aston Villa winger Trezeguet captained the national side under Hossam Hassan.

Over half of the players called up for the matches against Saudi Arabia and Spain represent domestic clubs, particularly Cairo giants Al Ahly, where 31-year-old Trezeguet currently plays.

Goalkeepers:
El Mahdy Soliman (Zamalek), Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna), Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly), Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly)

Defenders:
Khaled Sobhi (Al Masry), Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Ramy Rabia (Al Ain), Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly), Mohamed Abdelmonem (OGC Nice), Ahmed Abou El Fotouh (Zamalek), Tarek Alaa (ZED)

Midfielders:
Emam Ashour (Al Ahly), Hamdy Fathy (Al-Wakrah), Ahmed Kouka (Al Ahly), Mohanad Lasheen (Pyramids), Marwan Attia (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Saber (ZED)

Forwards:
Trezeguet (Al Ahly), Haissem Hassan (Real Oviedo), Islam Issa (Ceramica Cleopatra FC), Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes), Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland), Nasser Mansi (Zamalek), Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Zizo (Al Ahly)

Upcoming World Cup 2026 fixtures:
June 06, 2026 – Brazil vs Egypt, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States
June 15, 2026 – Belgium vs Egypt, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States
June 22, 2026 – New Zealand vs Egypt, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 27, 2026 – Egypt vs Iran, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States

Recent results:
March 31, 2026 – Spain 0-0 Egypt, RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
March 27, 2026 – Saudi Arabia 0-4 Egypt, Alinma Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
January 17, 2026 – Egypt 0-0 Nigeria (2-4 pens), Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco
January 14, 2026 – Senegal 1-0 Egypt, Tangier Grand Stadium, Tangier, Morocco
January 10, 2026 – Egypt 3-2 Ivory Coast, Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco
January 05, 2026 – Egypt 3-1 Benin, Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco
December 29, 2025 – Angola 0-0 Egypt, Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco
December 26, 2025 – Egypt 1-0 South Africa, Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco
December 22, 2025 – Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe, Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco
December 16, 2025 – Egypt 2-1 Nigeria, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
December 09, 2025 – Egypt 0-3 Jordan, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar
December 06, 2025 – United Arab Emirates 1-1 Egypt, Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
December 02, 2025 – Egypt 1-1 Kuwait, Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar
November 17, 2025 – Cape Verde 1-1 Egypt (0-2 pens), Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain, UAE
November 14, 2025 – Uzbekistan 2-0 Egypt, Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
October 12, 2025 – Egypt 1-0 Guinea-Bissau, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
October 08, 2025 – Djibouti 0-3 Egypt, Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco
September 09, 2025 – Burkina Faso 0-0 Egypt, Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
September 05, 2025 – Egypt 2-0 Ethiopia, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
March 25, 2025 – Egypt 1-0 Sierra Leone, Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
March 21, 2025 – Ethiopia 0-2 Egypt, Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco

Egypt have been drawn into Group G for the 2026 World Cup.

Head coach Hossam Hassan, the country’s all-time leading scorer, continues to leave his mark on Egyptian football. Though Mohamed Salah is closing in on his record, Hassan’s influence on the national team remains immense. His managerial career spans 17 different tenures, including five separate spells with Al Masry. Before taking charge of the national side, he was briefly named manager of Modern Future but was quickly released to lead Egypt.

Mohamed Salah, widely regarded as one of the finest players in Africa, holds numerous accolades. He tops FourFourTwo’s list of the best African footballers ever, ranks 81st among the greatest footballers of all time, and is fifth on their list of the greatest Premier League players. Having surpassed 250 goals for Liverpool this season with a strike against Aston Villa, Salah is set to play in his second World Cup with Egypt. With 67 goals for his country, he is only two short of Hassan’s national record. If Egypt are to make an impact at the World Cup finals, Salah’s performance will likely be the decisive factor.