Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has named his final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pharaohs prepare for their tournament opener against Belgium.
The announcement comes as Egypt, the most successful nation in Africa Cup of Nations history with seven titles, seeks its first-ever World Cup finals win after seven previous attempts. Current data shows the team is second in its World Cup qualifying group with 5 points from 3 games (1 win, 2 draws). They have scored 5 goals and conceded 3 in those matches.
Mohamed Salah leads the Egypt squad as captain and the nation's all-time record goalscorer with 67 goals in 116 caps. Salah will turn 34 on the day of Egypt's opening World Cup match, his second appearance at the tournament, after scoring 12 goals and providing 9 assists for Liverpool last season. Forward Omar Marmoush, now at Manchester City after a spell with Eintracht Frankfurt, is another key figure with 11 goals in his first 48 international appearances.
In defence, Mohamed Abdelmonem, who joined OGC Nice from Al Ahly in 2024, is included despite an ACL injury in April 2025 that sidelined him for a year. He returned to play 45 minutes in a pre-tournament warm-up win over Russia. He is joined by defenders Yasser Ibrahim and Ramy Rabia.
Hossam Hassan's final 26-man squad features several notable omissions. Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed was left out, as was former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny. Notably, only nine players in the final squad play their club football outside of Egypt, indicating a heavy reliance on the domestic league.
Egypt's preparations are underway amid mixed form in friendlies and qualifiers. Their last result was a 3-2 defeat to Argentina on 7 July 2026. The team's recent form over the last five matches shows one win, three draws, and one loss (LDDWD).
Fans can track the team's progress and player performances on our dedicated stats page, while the standings page provides a full overview of their qualifying position.
With the 2026 World Cup approaching, manager Hossam Hassan faces a tough task in molding a cohesive unit despite missing some important figures. The current squad is described as not appearing to be a vintage one, and there are questions over whether Salah's powers are slightly on the wane. The team will lean heavily on Salah's experience and Marmoush's attacking threat to secure that historic first World Cup win. This announced squad is the final choice for Hassan, who has been in charge since 2024, and the full roster can be viewed on our squad page.
