In June 1930, the mail steamship SS Florida set off from Marseille on a journey that would include a stop in Montevideo. Among its passengers was the Yugoslavian football team, heading to the first World Cup. The Yugoslavs should have been joined by Egypt's national team, but their boat from Africa encountered heavy delays in a stormy Mediterranean Sea and they did not make the connection for the trip to Uruguay. Ever since that ill-fated journey, when it comes to the World Cup, Egypt have been missing the boat in one way or another. Giants of African football, but minnows in the World Cup pool. Harsh, but fair.
A History of World Cup Struggles
Egypt made it to the 1934 World Cup in Italy, where a straight knockout format was in operation, and lost 4-2 to Hungary. They would not make it to the finals again until they returned to Italy, 56 years later. Drawn in a group with England, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands, they did not win a game in 1990. The same happened when they played Uruguay, hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia in the 2018 World Cup. In three World Cups, Egypt have played seven matches, lost five and drawn two.
The 2026 World Cup: A New Hope
In this edition, The Pharaohs have been grouped with Belgium, Iran and New Zealand. Their attack is led by the inimitable Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Omar Marmoush. Egypt does not expect to win the World Cup, but it does expect to win a game. And, of course, Egypt expects Salah to deliver. According to renowned African football expert Ali Howorth, 'Salah single-handedly dragged them to the 2018 World Cup but he has not won anything with them. They are the AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) team, they have won it more than anyone else but Salah has not won it. And in 2018, after he was injured by Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final, there was so much desperate energy in Egypt for him to be fit for the World Cup. And when he did play - when he should not have - he had a poor tournament and Egypt had a terrible tournament. That was hard for Egyptians to process. There is a lot of hysteria in Egypt around the World Cup, mainly because they simply have not achieved what they should have achieved.'
Salah: The Talisman and the Burden
Eight years on from the disappointment in Russia - Egypt failed to qualify for Qatar 2022 - and the country's hopes are still pinned on the player who said an emotional goodbye to Liverpool at the end of the club season. 'He has not won anything but he is seen as the Greatest Of All Time,' says Howorth. 'He is an icon, he is a symbol. He is the talisman, there is no doubt about it.' And while he again failed to achieve success at the most recent AFCON, Salah was imperious in qualification for World Cup 2026, scoring nine times and producing three assists in a record that featured eight wins, two draws, and no defeats.
The Marmoush Factor
With Marmoush at his disposal, manager Hossam Hassan employs a strict counter-attacking style, but the Egyptians are still waiting for statement performances from the City striker. 'Marmoush has not quite fulfilled his potential,' says Howorth. 'There were moments in the last AFCON but he has not quite taken things by storm. With Salah and Marmoush, it is one of the conundrums of Egyptian football. How do we get these two to best play together?' For Hassan, the best way for them to play together is to operate on the break. Do not expect Egypt to be on the front foot when they step out against Belgium in Seattle for their first game of the tournament. This is a team that kept eight clean sheets in qualification. They shut out Spain in a friendly in Barcelona at the end of March. It is not going to be pretty.
Expectation and Legacy
But Egypt does expect. It certainly expects a first victory at the finals of a World Cup tournament. And for progression from the group, they will be looking towards Salah, who will turn 34 on the day of the opener against the Belgians. 'There is a sense that Egypt owes it to Salah to bring their best in order to get the best out of him,' says Howorth. 'But there is also the flip side. There is a sense that this is Salah's last chance to do something really great with Egypt. This is his last chance to step up on the biggest stage of all. So there is great expectation on him as well.' At least they have made it across the Atlantic this time around. And now Egypt expects Salah - the greatest player in their footballing history - to make the journey worthwhile.
