Egypt and Russia Friendly Moved to Cairo Stadium Before the World Cup

The Egyptian national team will face a strong friendly match against its Russian counterpart on Thursday, May 28, as part of the 'Pharaohs' preparations for the 2026 World Cup, within the preparatory program preceding the launch of the global tournament.

Reports revealed that the Egyptian Football Association decided to move the match to be held at Cairo International Stadium instead of Egypt Stadium in the new administrative capital, as an organizational step before the anticipated encounter.

This decision comes at a time when Egypt Stadium was officially inaugurated in January 2024, having hosted only two matches since its opening, which brought together the Egyptian team with both Croatia and New Zealand.

On the international front, the Russian team continues to play its friendly matches recently, despite being suspended by FIFA since the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine, where some of its matches are now officially counted according to the FIFA website.

The Egyptian team is preparing to compete in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June, where the 'Pharaohs' are in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand.

Historically, the Egyptian and Russian teams have met in 7 previous encounters, including 6 friendly matches and one official match, during which Russia achieved 6 victories compared to one win for Egypt.

The last encounter between the two sides was in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, which ended with a 3-1 victory for the Russian team.

In the context of preparations, the Egyptian team is expected to play another friendly match in the United States against Brazil, as part of the final preparation plan for the World Cup.