ARLINGTON, Texas — In a surprising turn of events that has captured global soccer attention, star forward Mohamed Salah has been named to Egypt’s starting eleven for the nation’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage opener against Australia, overcoming a hamstring injury picked up in the final match of the group stage. The 34-year-old Egyptian captain, who previously built his legendary career as a Liverpool forward, will take the field at AT&T Stadium, the home arena of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, on Friday. This unexpected starting placement comes just 24 hours after head coach Hossam Hassan told reporters via a translator that he was only cautiously optimistic Salah would be available to play, and that the winger would likely start the match on the bench. Off the pitch, Salah is also on the cusp of matching a historic Egyptian national team record. He is currently just one goal away from tying Hassan’s all-time mark of 69 international goals, a record that has stood for decades across Egyptian soccer. Across his 119 appearances for the Pharaohs, Salah has cemented his status as one of the greatest players to ever represent the North African nation. The hamstring injury that put his participation in Friday’s matchup in doubt came during Egypt’s decisive 1-1 group stage draw with Iran, a result that secured the Pharaohs a spot in the knockout round of the World Cup for the first time in the history of their four World Cup appearances. Salah was substituted off the pitch in the 57th minute of that match after picking up the injury, and Hassan confirmed in pre-match press briefings that Salah only participated in limited training sessions in the days leading up to the Australia clash. The unexpected decision to start Salah has injected new drama and anticipation into what is already one of the most highly anticipated knockout round matches of the tournament, with fans around the world waiting to see how the star forward performs on the global stage despite his recent injury setback.