Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Squad, Manager, Fixtures & Tournament History

Egypt are back at the World Cup. After missing out on Qatar 2022, the Pharaohs have fought their way back to football's biggest stage, qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States for a fourth time in their history. Their return was built on an impressive qualifying campaign — unbeaten throughout, defensively formidable, and powered in attack by one of the most recognisable players on the planet.

Mohamed Salah leads a squad that balances experience with youthful energy, with the likes of Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet and Mostafa Mohamed adding quality and depth. For a nation with millions of passionate fans and a rich footballing heritage, the 2026 tournament represents an opportunity to finally deliver a performance worthy of their ambitions.

The Coach: Hossam Hassan

Hossam Hassan needs little introduction in Egyptian football. One of the greatest goalscorers the country has ever produced, he has since built an equally impressive reputation in the dugout. After retiring as a player, he began his coaching career in 2008 at Al Masry, later taking charge at Zamalek, Ismaily and other prominent Egyptian clubs — consistently building competitive, combative sides with a strong collective identity.

He assumed the national team role in February 2024, succeeding Portuguese coach Rui Vitória, and immediately set about reinforcing Egypt's reputation as a side that is hard to break down and dangerous on the front foot. The results speak for themselves — Egypt finished their qualifying campaign unbeaten, their first such run in 91 years — and Hassan now has his sights set on making an impact on the world stage.

Egypt's 2026 World Cup Fixtures & Group

15 June: Belgium v Egypt – Seattle Stadium

21 June: New Zealand v Egypt – BC Place Vancouver

26 June: Egypt v IR Iran – Seattle Stadium

How Egypt Qualified

Egypt topped CAF Group A to book their place at the 2026 finals, finishing ahead of Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia and Djibouti with eight wins and two draws — 26 points from a possible 30. They confirmed qualification before the final matchday, a comfortable margin that reflected their dominance throughout.

The campaign began under Rui Vitória, who oversaw wins over Djibouti (6-0) and Sierra Leone (2-0), before Hassan took over and continued in the same vein. Egypt scored 20 goals in total and conceded just two — a defensive record that stands among the best in African qualifying. Salah was the standout contributor with nine goals, underlining just how central he remains to everything Egypt do.

Egypt's World Cup Record

Confederation: CAF

Best Finish: Group stage (1934, 1990, 2018)

Last Appearance: Russia 2018 (Group stage)

First Appearance: Italy 1934

Total Appearances: 4 (1934, 1990, 2018, 2026)

Overall Record: P7 W0 D2 L5 F5 A12

Egypt's First World Cup: Italy 1934

Egypt's connection to the World Cup goes further back than almost any African nation — and their absence from the very first tournament in 1930 was down to nothing more than misfortune. FIFA President Jules Rimet had invited Egypt to travel to Uruguay on a shared ship departing from France, but a storm at sea caused them to miss the boat entirely.

Four years later, they made it to Italy 1934 and made history in doing so — becoming the first African and first Arab nation ever to compete at a World Cup. The tournament used a straight knockout format, and Egypt's only match ended in a 4-2 defeat to Hungary. But Abdelrahman Fawzi scored both goals, becoming the first African and first Arab player ever to find the net at a World Cup. A defeat, but a landmark moment for the entire continent.

Egypt's Last World Cup: Russia 2018

Egypt's return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence in Russia 2018 arrived with enormous expectation — much of it centred on Mohamed Salah. An injury in the Champions League final had left his participation in doubt, and he missed the opening 1-0 defeat to Uruguay. He returned for the second match against hosts Russia, scoring a consolation goal in a 3-1 loss — Egypt's first World Cup goal in 28 years. A brilliant solo effort against Saudi Arabia in the final group game offered a further glimpse of his brilliance, but three defeats in three matches ended the campaign without a point. The potential was evident; the results were not.

Egypt's All-Time World Cup Top Scorer

Two players share Egypt's all-time World Cup scoring record with two goals each: Abdelrahman Fawzi and Mohamed Salah. Fawzi netted both of Egypt's goals in their debut match at Italy 1934, writing himself into history as the first Arab and African scorer at the tournament. Salah matched him at Russia 2018 with goals against Russia and Saudi Arabia. With Egypt now back at the finals, Salah will have every opportunity to make the record his own in North America.

Egypt's Most Capped World Cup Players

Several Egyptian players share the record for most World Cup appearances with three each — the maximum possible given that Egypt have never progressed beyond the group stage, and only played one match at Italy 1934 due to the knockout format. Mohamed Salah is among those on three appearances, alongside key figures from the Italia 1990 campaign, and he will almost certainly add to that tally in 2026.

Egypt's Most Memorable World Cup Moments

Egypt's World Cup history may be modest in length, but it is rich in significance. Their 1934 debut as the first African and Arab nation at the tournament opened a door for an entire continent and remains one of the sport's most important milestones.

Decades later, a Hossam Hassan header — the current national team coach — settled a 1-0 aggregate victory over Algeria that sent Egypt back to the World Cup after a 56-year absence, fulfilling the dreams of millions. At Italia 1990, the Pharaohs held the Netherlands — the reigning European champions — to a 1-1 draw, with Magdi Abdelghani converting a penalty to earn Egypt their first-ever World Cup point. That goal has never been forgotten.