Hossam Hassan Takes Huge Gamble As Egypt Leave Out Mostafa Mohamed From Provisional World Cup Squad

22/05/2026

Egypt have unveiled a provisional 27-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the biggest talking point being the surprise omission of FC Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed.

Coach Hossam Hassan has opted to place his faith in a new generation of attacking talent alongside established stars like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, leaving out one of the country’s most recognizable centre-forwards just weeks before the tournament begins.

Mostafa Mohamed featured prominently during Egypt’s qualification campaign, appearing in all 10 qualifying matches, but a disappointing season in France appears to have worked against him. The 27-year-old managed only four Ligue 1 goals as Nantes suffered relegation from the French top flight.

His absence has opened the door for one of Egypt’s brightest young prospects: Barcelona teenager Hamza Abdelkarim. The highly rated youngster earns a first senior World Cup call-up after impressing within Barcelona’s youth ranks and Egypt’s junior national teams.

While Egypt remain one of Africa’s most decorated football nations, the Pharaohs are still searching for a true breakthrough on football’s biggest stage. Seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions and historically regarded as one of the continent’s giants, Egypt have nevertheless struggled to translate continental dominance into World Cup success.

The North Africans previously appeared at the World Cup in 1934, 1990 and 2018, but have never advanced beyond the group stage. That lingering record continues to fuel debate about whether Africa’s traditional heavyweights have genuinely managed to impose themselves consistently at World Cups.

With Mohamed Salah captaining what could be the strongest Egyptian generation in years, expectations are once again rising that the Pharaohs can finally leave a meaningful mark on the global stage.

Egypt have been drawn into Group G, where they will face Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in the opening round.

Egypt’s World Cup Group Stage Program

June 15: Egypt vs Belgium — Seattle
June 21: Egypt vs New Zealand — Vancouver
June 26: Egypt vs Iran — Seattle

Egypt Provisional World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly)
Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly)
Mohamed Awad (Zamalek)
El Mahdi Soliman (Ittihad Alexandria)

Defenders

Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly)
Omar Kamal Abdelwahed (Al Ahly)
Ahmed Eid (Al Masry)
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Nice)
Rami Rabia (Al Ain)
Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly)
Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek)
Ahmed Ramadan “Beckham” (Ceramica Cleopatra)
Ahmed Nabil “Koka” (Al Ahly)
Karim El Debes (Al Ahly)

Midfielders

Marwan Attia (Al Ahly)
Hamdi Fathi (Al Wakrah)
Nabil Emad “Dunga” (Pyramids)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Ferencváros)
Emam Ashour (Al Ahly)
Mahmoud Saber (Pyramids)
Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids)

Forwards

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)
Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” (Trabzonspor)
Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” (Zamalek)
Mostafa Fathi (Pyramids)
Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona Youth)

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