Mohamed Salah to captain Egypt as announced team for FIFA World Cup 2026 | World Cup 2026 news

Nantes versatile player Mostafa Mohamed was not named in the starting 27-man squad.

Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed was left out of Egypt’s starting squad for next month’s FIFA World Cup, but Barcelona under-19 star Hamza Abdelkarim was included.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will captain the team and join Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush to lead the attack at the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, head coach Hossam Hassan announced on Wednesday.

One player will be removed later to reduce the 26 players FIFA has ordered after Egypt’s final match against Russia in Cairo on May 28, before traveling to the US.

Mostafa has not made a surprise appearance, despite struggling for form with just four goals in 24 games this season for Nantes, the French side who were relegated from Ligue 1.

Abdelkarim, by contrast, has been in good form for Barcelona’s youth team and is one of the most promising talents in Egyptian football.

Egypt face Brazil in a friendly in Cleveland on June 6 before opening their World Cup campaign against Belgium in Seattle nine days later.

They will then face New Zealand in Vancouver, Canada, on June 21, before returning to Seattle five days later to complete their Group G match against Iran.

Egyptian team:

Scorers: Mohamed ⁠El Shenawy (Al Ahly), Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly), El Mahdi ⁠Soliman (Zamalek), Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna)

Protectors: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Tarek Alaa (Zed), Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah), Rami Rabia (Al Ain), Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdelmonemn (Nice), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek), Karim Hafez (Pyramids)

Middle players: Marwan Ateya (Al Ahly), Mohanad Lasheen (Pyramids), Nabil Emad (Al Najma), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Ahmed Zizo (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Al Ahly), Mostafa Ziko (Pyramids), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Ahly), Hassan Ibrahim Adel (Nordssemjaelland).

Players: Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona U19) (Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, additional reporting by Ahmed El Khashab and Bassem Zahran, editing by Nick Mulvenney and Peter Rutherford)