Egypt national football team have unveiled a preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with head coach Hossam Hassan leaving out 18 players who contributed during the country’s qualification campaign.
The Pharaohs are preparing for the tournament, which will be staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada next June.
Egypt have been placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand.
The technical staff selected 27 players for the current training camp, although one player is expected to be removed following a friendly match against Russia scheduled to take place at Egypt Stadium at the end of May.
The squad announcement has generated debate after several players involved in securing qualification were omitted from the latest selection.
According to the technical staff, the exclusions were linked to a mixture of long-term injuries and declining performances.
Among the most notable absentees is Mostafa Mohamed, who featured prominently during the qualification campaign.
The striker played 10 matches for Egypt during the road to the World Cup but was ultimately left out of the preliminary squad. The coaching staff instead opted to include Aktai Abdullah and Hamza Abdel Karim in the attacking department.
The decision has emerged as one of the biggest talking points surrounding the squad announcement, particularly given Mostafa Mohamed’s role throughout the qualifiers.
Several new faces were also named in the national team setup for the first time ahead of the tournament preparations.
Aktai Abdullah and Hamza Abdel Karim were among the newcomers selected as Egypt continue to reshape parts of the squad before travelling to North America.
The preliminary squad includes a strong core of experienced internationals led by Mohamed Salah, who is expected to play a central role in Egypt’s World Cup campaign.
Goalkeepers selected for the camp are Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdi Soliman and Mohamed Alaa.
In defence, Hossam Hassan chose Mohamed Hany, Tarek Alaa, Hamdi Fathi, Ramy Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdel-Maguid, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, Ahmed Fatouh and Karim Hafez.
The midfield unit includes Marwan Attia, Mohannad Lasheen, Nabil Emad Dunga, Mahmoud Saber, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Abdel Raouf Zico, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Ibrahim Adel, Haitham Hassan and Mohamed Salah.
Egypt’s attacking options for the preliminary camp are Omar Marmoush, Aktai Abdullah and Hamza Abdel Karim.
The Pharaohs will now continue preparations before the final squad is confirmed ahead of the World Cup finals.
Attention is expected to remain focused on the omission of several players who played key roles during qualification, as supporters analyse the balance between experience, form and the introduction of younger talent.
Egypt are aiming to make a strong impression at the tournament after successfully navigating the qualification campaign and securing their place among the world’s leading national teams.
