Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has confirmed that Mohamed Salah was substituted during the Pharaohs’ 1-1 draw with Iran after reporting discomfort in his left hamstring, although the extent of the injury remains unclear.
The result in Seattle secured Egypt’s place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but attention quickly shifted to the fitness of the team’s captain after he was forced off before the hour mark.
Salah, 34, was replaced by Zizo in the 58th minute, with what initially appeared to be a tactical change later revealed to have been prompted by a suspected injury.
Egypt made an encouraging start to the contest, taking the lead through Mahmoud Saber after the midfielder capitalised on a costly mistake by Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Iran responded almost immediately as Ramin Rezaeian levelled the score in the 14th minute before Mehdi Taremi missed a golden opportunity to put his side ahead, seeing his penalty brilliantly saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir.
The drama continued deep into stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored a dramatic winner for Iran following a goalmouth scramble. However, the effort was ruled out after a VAR review, preserving the draw and keeping Egypt’s qualification hopes intact.
After the final whistle, Salah was seen with ice strapped to his left hamstring, prompting concerns ahead of the knockout rounds.
Speaking after the match, Hassan revealed that the Liverpool forward had informed the coaching staff of the problem before asking to be substituted.
“Salah asked to be replaced, but we still don’t know the diagnosis,” Hassan told Al-Ahram. “Since he felt something, it means there is something. He will undergo scans and we hope for the best.”
The Egypt coach, however, struck a cautiously optimistic tone after speaking with his captain.
“I talked to Salah, and he said he’s going to be okay, and it’s not a big injury. We still have time to talk to the medical staff. I think he will be back,” he added.
Despite the injury concern, Egypt successfully booked their place in the knockout stage by finishing second in Group G after Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 in the group’s other fixture.
The Pharaohs will now turn their attention to a Round of 32 showdown against Australia, with the availability of Salah expected to be one of the major talking points in the build-up to the encounter.
