Spain, ranked second in the world (behind France), are one of the strong favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. The team, now playing a whole new style—resembling Sir Alex Ferguson's great Manchester United sides—have not lost a match since March 2024. So, when Egypt (rank 29) were scheduled to face Spain this March, the general consensus was that they would lose.
But, without Mohamed Salah and with a second-choice goalkeeper, the Pharaohs went to Catalonia and held Spain to a goalless draw. Mostafa Shobeir made save after save as Egypt's defensive discipline held firm even after midfielder Hamdi Fathy was sent off late in the match. It was the kind of result that reframes a team's World Cup prospects entirely.
Three days earlier, Egypt had beaten Saudi Arabia 4-0. The back-to-back results—a rout followed by a defensive masterclass against the reigning European champions—tell you more about this Egypt side than any qualifying record. They can score. They can defend. And they can do both without their best player.
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That player, Salah, is enduring his most difficult season in a Liverpool shirt. But he is still the national team's talisman. He turns 34 on June 15—the day Egypt face Belgium in their opening match—and has 67 goals in 115 appearances as of mid-May. Notably, only two of those appearances have come at the World Cup. He scored in both matches in Russia 2018 after missing the first with a shoulder injury suffered at the hands of Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final.
As Salah gears up for what is likely his last World Cup, he will be determined to change a dubious record: Egypt have never won a game at the tournament in three previous appearances. Their best finish is listed as a round of 16 elimination on debut in 1934, but that is misleading. There were only 16 teams and the format was a straight knockout—Egypt lost their first and only match. In 1990, they drew two and lost one in the group stage, finishing last. In 2018, they lost all three, finishing last again.
This time, the group—Belgium, New Zealand, Iran (as things stand)—offers a genuine opportunity to change that record. Belgium are no longer the force they were—ranked ninth now, they were first four years ago though their golden generation won nothing. Lower expectations may help their players perform closer to their potential, but Egypt, as the Spain result suggests, are more than capable of troubling them. New Zealand (rank 85) are the team Egypt must beat to guarantee that first World Cup win. That is the third match. The second will be against Iran, or whoever replaces them. If Iran (rank 21) do play, that could prove the toughest fixture—their players are likely to be driven by everything surrounding their participation. Egypt must focus on a good performance against Belgium and at least a draw and a win against New Zealand. Against Iran, anything could happen.
Salah's most talented compatriot is Omar Marmoush, 27. The Manchester City attacker has struggled for playing time this season due to injury, and whether he arrives sharp is the central uncertainty around this Egypt attack. But, irrespective of that, recent performances suggest Egypt's unwanted record is more likely to change in 2026 than at any point in their history.