In the 2018 Russia World Cup, Salah made his first World Cup appearance under difficult circumstances after sustaining a severe shoulder injury while playing for Liverpool in the Champions League final, following a collision with Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. He missed the opening match against Uruguay and, although he scored two goals against Russia and Saudi Arabia, they were not enough to prevent Egypt’s early elimination.

In 2026, Salah will compete in the World Cup having concluded his journey with Liverpool after nine achievement-filled years, during which he cemented his status as one of the club’s legends, winning the Premier League twice (2020 and 2025) and the Champions League (2019).

At the age of thirty-three, he suffered a muscle injury in April, sidelining him for a period from the squad under his Dutch coach Arne Slot, with whom his relationship has turned tense this season.

His teammate Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet) told Agence France-Presse: “To me, Salah is the best player in the world. We trust in his timely recovery before the World Cup, as his presence is extremely important to us—not just as the team’s star, but also as a leader who gives us confidence and strength.”

Salah, twice named Africa’s best player, formed an exceptional duo with Trezeguet, scoring 14 of Egypt’s 20 goals in the qualifiers, with 9 scored by Salah and 5 by his teammate.

The Pharaohs conclude their World Cup preparation phase with a closed training camp at the National Teams Center in Cairo, including a friendly match against Russia at the Egypt Stadium in the New Administrative Capital on May 28. The team then flies to the United States for their final camp, ending preparations with a friendly against Brazil in Cleveland on June 6.

About Ibrahim Hassan, the director of the Egyptian national team and twin brother of coach Hossam Hassan, told Agence France-Presse: “Salah will join us as soon as he finishes his journey with Liverpool in the Premier League. We hope he can join the Russia match, and at the latest, he will naturally participate in the final match against Brazil before the World Cup.”

Ahmed Fathy, the national team captain at the 2018 World Cup, told Agence France-Presse: “Salah certainly deserves to lead the national team, and I'm confident he will achieve something with the Pharaohs in the 2026 World Cup. He played with me in the national team since his early international days, and we played together in the London 2012 Olympics and the 2018 World Cup, and he always made a difference. I hope he achieves that again in the United States.”

Hopes of leading Egypt towards its first World Cup victory

The recent preparations showed positive signs after the team secured a convincing 4–0 friendly win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah in March and drew 0–0 with European champions Spain in Barcelona.

Gamal Abdel Hamid, the Egyptian team captain at the 1990 Italy World Cup, told Agence France-Presse: “In 1990, we were close to beating the then-European champions Netherlands, and we exited the group narrowly. Salah is a natural leader, and I believe he will succeed in achieving the first victory for the national team in the World Cup.”

With these factors, all eyes are on Salah, who represents the greatest hope for realizing the postponed dream. Given his experience, decisive ability, and leadership role, the “last dance” appears to be a perfect opportunity to lead Egypt toward its first World Cup victory.