Mohamed Salah and Egypt have never won a World Cup game. Is this their moment?
Quick summary
A feature exploring Egypt's historical struggles at the FIFA World Cup and whether Mohamed Salah can lead the Pharaohs to their first-ever World Cup victory at the 2026 tournament.
What happened
Egypt, one of Africa's most decorated national teams, have participated in multiple World Cups without ever winning a match. With Mohamed Salah entering what may be his final World Cup cycle, this piece examines Egypt's chances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The analysis considers the team's recent form, squad depth, qualifying campaign, and the burden on Salah to deliver historic results. It also contextualizes Egypt's past tournament disappointments against the expanded 2026 format, which could offer a more favorable path for the African side.
Chance analysis
Egypt's World Cup pedigree has been underwhelming relative to their continental dominance, and the 2026 expanded format (48 teams) could increase their chances of advancing beyond the group stage. Salah remains the focal point of Egypt's attack, and his form with Liverpool will be a key indicator of Egypt's potential. The expanded format means more matches and potentially easier group-stage opposition for lower-seeded teams like Egypt, which could finally break their winless World Cup streak.
This preview frames Egypt as a potential dark horse in the 2026 World Cup's expanded format, with Salah's performance as the critical variable.
Egypt's 2026 World Cup prospects are closely tied to Salah's fitness and form; monitor his club output as a proxy for Egypt's potential tournament performance.