Mohamed Salah remains the face of Egyptian soccer, but the longtime Liverpool superstar is joined by one of the deepest supporting casts the Pharaohs have taken to a World Cup in years.
From Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush to veteran midfielder Mohamed Elneny and emerging talents across Europe, Egypt enters the 2026 World Cup with a blend of proven stars and experienced internationals capable of challenging any opponent.
Under head coach Hossam Hassan, the Pharaohs were drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Iran and New Zealand — their fourth World Cup appearance and first since 2018. Egypt’s attack runs through three players whose European club careers translate directly into international impact: a Liverpool icon closing out his Anfield career, a Premier League striker who cost Manchester City a reported $78 million and a veteran winger back at Al Ahly after a decade abroad.
Mohamed Salah: Egypt’s Captain
GettyMohamed Salah #10 of Egypt.
The conversation starts with Mohamed Salah. The right winger, who turned 34 on the day Egypt opened against Belgium on June 15, captains the Pharaohs with a statistical record without precedent in Egyptian football history. He arrived at the 2026 tournament with 67 international goals in 117 caps, two behind coach Hossam Hassan’s national record of 69, according to Squawka.
Salah pushed that tally to 68 against New Zealand on June 22, becoming Egypt’s all-time leading World Cup scorer in the process. At Liverpool, he totaled 255 goals and 119 assists in all competitions, including a Premier League record 32 goals in a single 38-game season in 2017-18. Salah broke the African record for World Cup qualifying goals, surpassing Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o, according to FIFA.com.
Omar Marmoush: Egypt’s Second Scoring Threat
GettyOmar Marmoush of Egypt.
Omar Marmoush gave Egypt a second genuine goal threat when Manchester City acquired him from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported $78 million in January 2025. The 27-year-old had been the Bundesliga’s second-leading scorer before the transfer, then wasted no time at the Etihad, netting a hat trick against Newcastle United in February 2025 and helping City to the FA Cup and EFL Cup double, according to FotMob.
At the international level, Marmoush scored twice at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where Egypt reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Senegal. Capable of partnering Salah or operating through the center channel, his movement stretches defenses in ways the Pharaohs struggled to exploit before his emergence as a top-level striker, according to World Cup Pass.
Mahmoud Trezeguet: Winger Delivers in Big Moments
GettyEgypt’s forward #7 Mahmoud Trezeguet.
Mahmoud Trezeguet, nicknamed after French legend David Trezeguet by a youth coach who spotted a kindred goal-scoring instinct when the winger was 9, returned to boyhood club Al Ahly in January 2025 after stints in Belgium, Turkey, England and Qatar. He arrived at the 2026 World Cup as one of only three players representing Egypt for the second time, alongside Salah and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, according to FIFA.com.
Trezeguet was Egypt’s second-leading scorer in World Cup qualifying with five goals, including a brace in a 2-1 home win over Burkina Faso, and delivered again at the tournament itself, heading home in the 82nd minute to complete a 3-1 comeback over New Zealand on June 22, according to World Cup Pass.
“At this point, only Mohamed Salah, Mohamed El Shenawy and I are left from the previous generation,” he said, as quoted by FIFA.com. “Our aim is to pass on our experience to the others so we can achieve something big.” Egypt meets Iran on June 26 with a first-ever knockout-stage berth within reach.
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