Mohamed Salah to captain Egypt as squad announced for FIFA World Cup 2026 | World Cup 2026 News
Mostafa Mohamed Omitted from Egypt’s Preliminary World Cup Squad
Published: May 21, 2026
Egypt’s national football team will head to the upcoming FIFA World Cup without the notable inclusion of Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed. The preliminary 27-man roster, announced by head coach Hossam Hassan on Wednesday, instead features uncapped teenager Hamza Abdelkarim from Barcelona’s under-19 team.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been appointed captain of the squad and will lead the attack alongside Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush. The World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
An additional player will be dropped from the final roster to comply with FIFA’s requirement of a 26-player squad. This decision will be made following Egypt’s last home friendly against Russia in Cairo on May 28.
The absence of Mostafa Mohamed is unexpected, given that he was part of the national setup. However, his performance this season has been less than impressive, with only four goals in 24 appearances as Nantes faced relegation from Ligue 1.
In contrast, the inclusion of Abdelkarim reflects his strong form with the Barcelona youth team, marking him as a rising star in Egyptian football.
Egypt will begin their preparations with a friendly match against Brazil in Cleveland on June 6, before opening the World Cup against Belgium in Seattle on June 15. They will also face New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21 and conclude Group G play against Iran in Seattle on June 26.
Egypt Squad:
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 Oviedo)
Forwards:
Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona U19)
Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo; additional reporting by Ahmed El Khashab and Bassem Zahran; editing by Nick Mulvenney and Peter Rutherford
