The Egypt national football team have entered the final stage of preparations for the 2026 World Cup with growing concerns surrounding the condition and form of several of their overseas-based players.
The tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, will see Egypt attempt to make an impact on the global stage after an extensive preparation programme.
The Pharaohs began their build-up with a training camp in Cairo that included a friendly match against Russia national football team before travelling to Ohio for the second and final phase of preparations.
Egypt’s final warm-up match is scheduled to take place against Brazil national football team on 7 June, in what is expected to be a major test before the start of the World Cup campaign.
Head coach and officials recently confirmed a 26-man squad featuring a mixture of domestic and overseas-based players. Among the goalkeepers selected were Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdi Soliman and Mohamed Alaa.
The squad also included notable names such as Mohamed Hany, Ramy Rabia, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Emam Ashour, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah.
However, much of the attention has focused on the difficult season experienced by Egypt’s foreign-based professionals.
Nine members of the squad currently play in Arab and European leagues, but several arrive at the World Cup after challenging campaigns marked by injuries, limited playing time, relegation battles and uncertainty over their club futures.
One of the most notable absentees from the final squad was Mostafa Mohamed, who was left out after struggling for regular appearances with FC Nantes. Nantes were relegated to the French second division, further compounding the striker’s difficult season.
Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem has also endured a frustrating period despite his club OGC Nice retaining their place in Ligue 1. The player spent much of the latter stages of the campaign outside the squad because of complications linked to a cruciate ligament injury.
Meanwhile, forward Omar Marmoush has reportedly struggled for regular minutes in recent matches with Manchester City FC.
Elsewhere, Egyptian winger Haitham Hassan experienced disappointment after his club Real Oviedo returned to the Spanish second division following the end of the season.
The situation surrounding captain Mohamed Salah has also attracted significant attention.
The article stated that Salah endured a difficult relationship with former Liverpool FC coach Arne Slot, which contributed to the Egyptian forward’s departure from the club after nine years.
Salah reportedly spent large parts of the previous season on the bench before confirming his exit from Liverpool, although he has not yet announced his next destination.
Players competing in Arab leagues have also faced uncertainty. Nabil Emad Donga suffered relegation with Saudi side Al-Najma SC, who dropped into the Saudi Yellow League.
Midfielder Hamdi Fathi is also reportedly facing questions over his future with Al-Wakrah SC amid speculation linking him with a move away from the club.
Winger Ibrahim Adel experienced an unsettled season after beginning the campaign with Al Jazira Club before moving on loan to Danish side FC Nordsjælland, who later activated the option to sign him permanently.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding several key players, Egypt will hope their experienced core and preparation programme can help the team compete strongly once the World Cup begins.
