Salah Seeks Historic World Cup Win as Egypt Eyes First Victory on Global Stage

Egypt's participation in the 2026 World Cup carries particular significance as the nation pursues an elusive first victory in the tournament's history, with veteran forward Mohamed Salah potentially making his final appearance on football's grandest stage.

The Pharaohs have competed in the World Cup on three previous occasions—1934, 1990, and 2018—without recording a win. Their record across these tournaments stands at two draws and five defeats, a stark contrast to their dominance in African competition, where they have claimed seven African Cup of Nations titles.

Salah's first World Cup experience came in Russia in 2018 under difficult circumstances. The Liverpool star sustained a shoulder injury during the Champions League final when challenged by Sergio Ramos, forcing him to miss Egypt's opening match against Uruguay. He subsequently scored against Russia and Saudi Arabia but could not prevent Egypt's early elimination.

The 33-year-old recently concluded a nine-year tenure at Liverpool, during which he established himself as one of the club's defining players. His achievements at Anfield include two English Premier League titles (2020 and 2025) and the European Champions League trophy in 2019. A muscle injury sustained in April limited his availability toward the end of the season, with some reports suggesting friction between Salah and manager Arne Slot.

Egypt will conduct its World Cup preparations through a closed training camp in Cairo, which will include a friendly fixture against Russia at Misr Stadium in the New Administrative Capital. The team will subsequently travel to the United States for a final preparatory camp featuring a significant match against Brazil in Cleveland on June 6.

National team manager Ibrahim Hassan stated that Salah will join the camp following the conclusion of his Liverpool commitments. Hassan expressed optimism that the forward will participate in either the Russia friendly or the Brazil encounter ahead of the tournament's start.

Salah's involvement holds particular resonance for Egyptian football supporters. Since assuming the national team captaincy following the 2019 African Cup of Nations, he has become an emblem for an entire generation of players.

The tournament's group stage draw positioned Egypt in Group Seven alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran. The team's matches will take place between Seattle and Vancouver.

Egypt approaches the competition with confidence following a dominant 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah last March and a scoreless draw with European champions Spain in Barcelona.