Hossam Hassan Surprises Fans with New Faces in Egypt's World Cup Squad

Hossam Hassan, the head coach of the Egyptian national team, announced the 'Pharaohs' squad in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which featured several notable surprises, most notably the exclusion of Mostafa Mohamed and Mohamed Shehata, along with the appearance of new names for the first time under his leadership.

The squad included 27 players, with one player to be excluded after the friendly match against Russia scheduled for May 28 at the Egypt Stadium in the administrative capital, as part of the final preparations before the global tournament kicks off.

The coaching staff's selections saw the inclusion of four players for the first time since Hossam Hassan took over the national team, led by the young duo Hamza Abdel Karim, a Barcelona player on loan from Al Ahly, and Oktay Abdullah, an ENPPI player, both of whom are appearing on the Egypt national team list for the first time.

Karim Hafez also returned to the national team after a long absence, with his last international appearance in June 2022 under the late Ihab Galal, while Mostafa Ziko reappeared after his last call-up in November 2022 during the period of Portuguese Rui Vitoria.

On the other hand, Nabil Emad 'Dunga' regained his place in the squad after an absence since November 2025, which marked his last international appearance under Hossam Hassan's leadership.

The national team's camp is set to begin tomorrow, Thursday, May 21, at the National Teams Center, in preparation for the World Cup competitions, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Egypt's squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers:

Mohamed El-Shenawy – Mostafa Shobeir – El-Mahdy Soliman – Mohamed Alaa.

Defense:

Mohamed Hany – Hamdy Fathy – Rami Rabia – Yasser Ibrahim – Hossam Abdel Mageed – Mohamed Abdelmonem – Karim Hafez – Ahmed Fattouh – Tarek Alaa.

Midfield:

Marwan Attia – Mohanad Lasheen – Emam Ashour – Mahmoud Saber – Nabil Emad – Mostafa Ziko.

Attack:

Trezeguet – Ahmed Sayed Zizo – Mohamed Salah – Haitham Hassan – Omar Marmoush – Hamza Abdel Karim – Ibrahim Adel – Oktay Abdullah.

The Egyptian team is in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand, in a strong group expected to witness great competition for the two qualifying spots.

Egypt's match schedule in the 2026 World Cup

Egypt × Belgium — June 15, 2026 — 10 PM

Egypt × New Zealand — June 22, 2026 — 4 AM

Egypt × Iran — June 27, 2026 — 6 AM