Mohamed Salah to captain Egypt as squad announced for FIFA World Cup 2026

In a significant development for Egyptian football, Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been omitted from Egypt's preliminary squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. In contrast, uncapped teenager Hamza Abdelkarim, who currently plays for the Barcelona under-19 team, has secured a position in the roster.

Liverpool's star forward Mohamed Salah will take on the role of captain, partnering with Manchester City's Omar Marmoush to spearhead the attack during the prestigious tournament, which is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Head coach Hossam Hassan made this announcement on Wednesday.

Following Egypt’s final home friendly against Russia in Cairo on May 28, one player will be removed from the squad to meet the FIFA requirement of 26 players before embarking on their journey to the United States.

Mostafa's exclusion comes as a surprise, particularly given his recent lack of form, registering only four goals in 24 appearances this season for Nantes, a team that faced relegation from Ligue 1.

Conversely, Abdelkarim has shown impressive performances in the Barcelona youth ranks and is regarded as one of the most promising forward prospects in Egyptian football.

As part of their preparations, Egypt is set to face Brazil in a friendly match in Cleveland on June 6. They will then kick off their World Cup journey against Belgium in Seattle on June 15. Subsequently, they will compete against New Zealand in Vancouver, Canada, on June 21, before returning to Seattle to complete their Group G fixtures against Iran five days later.

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 Ovideo)

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