The 2026 FIFA World Cup marked a genuine turning point for Egyptian football.
Led by Hossam Hassan, the former star turned coach, the Pharaohs delivered a campaign that surpassed anything the nation had achieved before.
Hassan, who played for Egypt at the 1990 World Cup, became the first Egyptian to coach the national team at the tournament after having appeared on the pitch himself.
His disciplined, combative approach moulded the side into a formidable unit, one the Egyptian Football Association later described as the country’s greatest World Cup team ever.
Until then, Egypt’s record at the finals had been modest at best: three previous appearances without a single victory.
In 2026, everything changed. The team went undefeated through the group stage, for the first time, securing their first-ever World Cup win with a convincing 3-1 victory over New Zealand.
They scored five goals across the group matches, advanced to the knockout stage, and then won their Round of 32 fixture to reach the last 16.
That run lifted Egypt to 24th in the FIFA world rankings, their highest position yet.
The success was driven by standout individual performances that drew worldwide attention.
Captain Mohamed Salah led the way, finishing with three goals and two assists. His third strike made him the joint top Arab scorer in World Cup history, level with players, such as Saudi Arabia’s Sami Al-Jaber and Salem Al-Dawsari, Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Ismail Saïbari, and Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri.
Midfielder Emam Ashour contributed two goals, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced one of the tournament’s defining moments, becoming the first African keeper, and only the fourth overall, to save two penalties in a single World Cup.
Young striker Hamza Abdelkareem, at 18 one of the youngest players in the competition, offered a glimpse of the future for a team that scored eight goals over five matches.
The campaign reached its climax in the Round of 16 against defending champions Argentina. Expected to be outmatched, Egypt took the lead early when defender Yasser Ibrahim powered home a header.
When Argentina were awarded a penalty, Shobeir dived the right way to save Lionel Messi’s kick.
The Pharaohs doubled their advantage in the second half through winger Mostafa Zico, and for a time a place in the quarter-finals looked possible.
But Argentina showed their class in the closing stages. Cristian Romero pulled one back with a header in the 79th minute, Messi equalized four minutes later, and EnzoFernández headed the winner deep in stoppage time for a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Egypt left the field defeated but to warm applause, having shown they could compete with the world’s best.
