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Egypt
CAF · G2 · Pot 2
Second favouritesGroup G fixtures
Key players to watch
Mohamed Salah
FW · Liverpool · C
Captain, talisman and almost certainly at his last World Cup; sits two goals from Egypt's all-time record, held by his own head coach.
Captain · superstar
Omar Marmoush
FW · Manchester City
The second punch alongside Salah; pace and finishing that punish defences who over-commit to the captain.
Strike partner
Mahmoud Trezeguet
W · Al-Ahly
Direct wide threat and dead-ball option; an experienced hand in the final third.
Wide threat
Emam Ashour
MF · Al-Ahly
Creative midfield link who has become a key figure feeding the front two.
Midfield creator
Mohamed Abdelmonem
CB · Nice
Aerially strong, game-reading centre-back returning from a long ACL layoff to shore up the defence.
Defensive anchor
Mohamed El Shenawy
GK · Al-Ahly
Experienced, reliable goalkeeper behind a defensively organised side.
Reliable keeper
Goals & output
A genuine one-two punch in Salah and Marmoush — when both fire, Egypt can hurt anyone. Behind them the threat thins out, so much depends on getting the ball to the front pair in dangerous areas.
Set-piece duties
Penalties
Mohamed Salah
Free kicks
Mohamed Salah / Trezeguet
Corners
Trezeguet / Zizo
Salah takes most penalties and free kicks (though he missed in the 2022 qualifying shootout loss to Senegal), with Trezeguet a delivery option. Egypt's threat is heavily concentrated through their captain.
Discipline read
▲A disciplined, compact unit built on defensive organisation; fouls come from protecting the block. Bookings around or below average.
Recent form
Back at the World Cup for the first time since 2018 and only a fourth appearance overall — and they have never won a match at the finals, finishing bottom in both 1990 and 2018. But they qualified unbeaten in CAF, conceding just two goals in ten games with seven clean sheets, under all-time top scorer turned coach Hossam Hassan.
Head-to-head history
v Belgium (15 Jun)
Negligible history
Little meaningful record; a glamour opener in Seattle, Salah against De Bruyne's Belgium.
v New Zealand (22 Jun)
No prior meetings
First meeting; on paper Egypt's most controllable game and a chance to bank points in Vancouver.
v Iran (27 Jun)
Negligible history
Scarce record; potentially a decisive final-day shootout in Seattle for the qualification places.
Underdog & betting read
The verdict
Live for a top-two spot: the defensive base travels and Salah-Marmoush give them a ceiling few outsiders have. The risk is a narrow goal threat if the duo are contained. Value in Egypt to qualify and Salah goal/assist markets.