As the 2026 FIFA World Cup quickly approaches, Egypt has finalized its preliminary 27-man roster for the expanded tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah confirmed to lead the side as captain. The 33-year-old forward, who will bring an end to his nine-year spell with English Premier League club Liverpool at the conclusion of the current season, has built an extraordinary international record for the Pharaohs, netting 67 times across 115 national team appearances. Salah has held the captaincy of Egypt since 2019, and he will carry that responsibility into what is one of the most anticipated Egyptian World Cup campaigns in recent memory. Joining Salah in the preliminary forward group is Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush, as well as 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, the uncapped Barcelona Under-19 prospect who earns his first call-up to the senior national setup. Notably, Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed was omitted from the squad entirely, a surprising selection call from head coach Hossam Hassan. Hassan has confirmed he will cut one final player from the group following a friendly fixture against Russia hosted in Cairo on May 28, trimming the roster down to the 26 players required by FIFA regulations for the final tournament. In preparation for the World Cup, Egypt will face another high-profile test when they take on five-time World Cup champions Brazil in an international friendly in Cleveland on June 6. Drawn into Group G for the group stage, Egypt will kick off their World Cup campaign against Belgium on June 15, before facing New Zealand on June 22 and closing out group play against Iran on June 27. The historic 48-team expanded tournament will run from June 11 through July 19 across the three North American host nations. The full preliminary squad breakdown is as follows: Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir (both Al Ahly), El Mahdi Soliman (Zamalek), Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna). Defenders: Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim (both Al Ahly), Tarek Alaa (Zed), Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah), Rami Rabia (Al Ain), Hossam Abdelmaguid, Ahmed Fatouh (both Zamalek), Mohamed Abdelmonemn (Nice), Karim Hafez (Pyramids). Midfielders: Marwan Ateya, Emam Ashour, Ahmed Zizo, Mahmoud Trezeguet (all Al Ahly), Mohanad Lasheen, Mostafa Ziko (both Pyramids), Nabil Emad (Al Najma), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland), Haissem Hassan (Real Oviedo). Forwards: Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona U19).