Mohamed Salah to lead Egypt squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

CAIRO: Egypt have included star forward Mohamed Salah in their preliminary squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the Liverpool attacker set to lead the Pharaohs at football’s biggest stage next month.

The 33-year-old, who is expected to leave Liverpool FC at the end of the season after a successful nine-year spell, headlines a 27-man squad announced by head coach Hossam Hassan ahead of the tournament in North America.

Salah, Egypt’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, has netted 67 goals in 115 appearances for the national side and will once again carry the team’s hopes as they prepare for their return to the World Cup stage.

Joining him in the squad is Omar Marmoush, who enjoyed an impressive season with Manchester City, while uncapped teenage forward Hamza Abdelkarim also earned a surprise inclusion after impressing for FC Barcelona Juvenil A.

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However, there was no place for Mostafa Mohamed, with the Nantes striker omitted from the preliminary squad ahead of next month’s tournament.

Egypt are expected to trim the squad down to FIFA’s required 26 players following a friendly match against Russia national football team in Cairo on May 28.

The Pharaohs will also face Brazil in a high-profile warm-up fixture in Cleveland on June 6 as part of their preparations for the expanded 48-team World Cup.

Drawn in Group G, Egypt will open their campaign against Belgium on June 15 before taking on New Zealand and Iran later in the group stage.

Egypt preliminary squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

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

Defenders: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Tarek Alaa (Zed), Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah), Rami Rabia (Al Ain), Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdelmonemn (Nice), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek), Karim Hafez (Pyramids)

Midfielders: Marwan Ateya (Al Ahly), Mohanad ‌Lasheen (Pyramids), Nabil Emad (Al Najma), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Ahmed Zizo (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Al Ahly), Mostafa Ziko (Pyramids), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Ahly), Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland), Haissem Hassan (Real Ovideo)

Forwards: Omar Marmoush (Manchester ‌City), ‌Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona U19)

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