Egyptian football legend and former Zamalek SC player Haitham Farouk has tipped the Egypt national football team to achieve a historic milestone at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, predicting they will win a match for the first time in their tournament history and progress to the round of 32.
Egypt, who will be making their fourth appearance at the World Cup, are set to compete in Group G alongside Belgium national football team, Iran national football team and New Zealand national football team. Their opening match is scheduled for 15 June against Belgium.
Speaking in an interview, Farouk expressed optimism about Egypt’s chances of finally securing their first victory on the world stage.
He said he believes the expanded format of the competition, including the qualification of the best third-placed teams, will increase Egypt’s chances of progressing beyond the group stage.
“I expect the Egyptian national team to achieve victory for the first time in its history of participation in the World Cup. We have played 7 matches before in the World Cup, and we have not achieved any victory, but we will achieve our first victory in this tournament, and I expect us to advance to the round of 32. The qualification of the best 8 third-placed teams will make every second in the matches very important, even every yellow card counts. I expect us to qualify among the best third-placed teams or even from second place.”
Farouk also addressed squad selection decisions made by national team coach Hossam Hassan, saying that selection debates are inevitable in any national setup.
He highlighted striker Mostafa Mohamed as one player he felt could have been included, noting his contribution during qualifying matches. However, he stressed that managerial decisions must ultimately be respected.
Farouk also suggested that several domestic-based players, including Mohamed Shehata, Mohamed Ismail, and Mahmoud Hamdi El Wensh, as well as Hussein El Shahat and Nasser Maher, could have been considered, but reiterated that the final decisions rest with the coach.
“Any national team roster in the world is subject to discussion and debate. This is not limited to Egypt’s roster,” he said, adding that supporters should allow the coach to implement his vision.
Turning to tactics, Farouk outlined what he believes would be Egypt’s strongest formation at the tournament, favouring a 4-2-3-1 system. His suggested line-up included Mostafa Shobeir in goal, with a defensive line of Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdel-Maguid and Ahmed Fatouh.
In midfield, he selected Hamdi Fathi and Marwan Attia, with Mohamed Salah, Haitham Hassan and Emam Ashour playing behind striker Omar Marmoush.
One of the key talking points of the interview was the form of Mohamed Salah, who has been under pressure at Liverpool FC under manager Arne Slot.
Farouk suggested that this pressure could ultimately benefit Egypt, depending on how the player responds.
“This pressure may lead to a negative or positive outcome, depending on the type of player who receives and is exposed to that pressure, whether he is able to withstand and challenge it, and whether he has had similar experiences or not. I believe that Salah is of that type. I believe that the pressures he was exposed to with Arne Slott at Liverpool are capable of making him appear in an ideal version and be able to benefit the Egyptian national team in the World Cup.”
Looking beyond Egypt, Farouk backed both Egypt and Morocco as the strongest Arab representatives, suggesting they are capable of reaching the latter stages of the tournament.
He also offered wider predictions for the competition, naming France national football team as favourites to win the World Cup. For individual awards, he tipped Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappé to finish as top scorer, while identifying Norway national football team as a potential surprise package.
