Monday, June 22 New Zealand Vs Egypt (3:00 AM) Venue: BC Place Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Once again, Mohamed Salah will be the focal point as Egypt attempt to end a near century wait for a World Cup victory and, perhaps this time, break beyond the group stage for the first time in their history. For a nation that has won the Africa Cup of Nations seven times, Egypt’s World Cup story remains a contradiction. The Pharaohs are still waiting for their first victory on football biggest stage, having failed to win any of their seven matches across previous appearances. It is a record that sits uneasily alongside their continental dominance. ALSO READ: Curacao earn first-ever World Cup point after heroic draw against Last week, Orange, one of Egypt's leading mobile network operators, released a series of humorous adverts starring Ahmed Fatouh, Rami Rabia and Hossam Abdelmaguid. In the ads, the players’ optimism about Egypt finally progressing beyond the group stage is met with skepticism from their families and partners. The joke lands because it reflects a reality for many Egyptians, World Cup hope has always come with a dose of disbelief. Egypt’s group stage opponents are Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand in Group G. A hard-fought 1-1 draw against Belgium, one of Europe's football giants, has fueled hopes that the team can make a deep run in the tournament. Qualification for the tournament was remarkably straightforward by Egyptian standards. The Pharaohs topped their qualifying group unbeaten and, at the heart of this qualification campaign was Mohamed Salah who scored nine goals, provided three assists, and played almost every minute of the journey. As always, Egypt turned to him in decisive moments and as always, he delivered. ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup: Why an African nation could lift the 2026 trophy However, the Egypt captain arrives at this World Cup in different circumstances. Compared to 2018 in Russia, Salah was still establishing himself globally after his breakthrough season at Liverpool, and Egypt’s return to the tournament after 28 years felt like an achievement in itself. This time, expectations are heavy, and patience is thinner. In Egypt, Salah is no longer just a star, he is an institution. Manager Hossam Hassan captured that reality simply. “We have great players, I am very happy with my squad but, of course, we depend on Salah in big moments. He scores goals, he creates chances. We need him to be at his best,” he said. Salah is also closing in on Hassan’s record as Egypt alltime leading scorer, needing just two more goals to draw level despite having played significantly fewer matches. If achieved, it would further cement his status as the greatest Egyptian player of all time. The bigger question is whether he can finally deliver what no Egyptian generation has managed before, a World Cup win, and possibly a place in the knockout rounds. There is, however, a concern that refuses to go away. For the second World Cup in a row, Salah arrives with a fitness issue. In 2018, it was the shoulder injury from the Champions League final. This time it is a hamstring problem that disrupted the end of his Liverpool season. While less severe than Russia, it still adds uncertainty to Egypt hopes. Encouragingly, Salah appears calmer about his condition this time. In a press conference, when asked about his fitness after arriving in the United States, he said, “We need to focus on our camp and just train hard. It is a tough group. Everyone has a chance. We will give it our best and see what happens.” Now, with their greatest ever player leading them once again, the question is no longer whether Egypt belong on this stage. The real question is whether Mohamed Salah can finally push them beyond it. The Liverpool icon has little left to prove at club level, but at international level, he still carries a burden that no trophy or record can erase.
