The technical staff of the Egyptian first national football team, led by Hossam Hassan, announced an initial list of 27 players, to be reduced to 26 players after the friendly match against Russia scheduled for May 28, as part of the preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11.

The list witnessed remarkable surprises, most notably the exclusion of Mustafa Mohamed, the French Nantes striker, and Ahmed Nabil Kouka, the Al-Ahly player, in exchange for the inclusion of Hamza Abdel Karim, the Barcelona youth team player.

According to what was announced by the Media Center of the Egyptian Football Association, the list was as follows:

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mustafa Schubert, Mahdi Suleiman.

Defense: Mohamed Alaa, Mohamed Hani, Tariq Alaa, Hamdi Fathi, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdel Majeed, Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Ahmed Fattouh, Karim Hafez.

Midfield: Marwan Attia, Muhannad Lashin, Nabil Imad Dunga, Mahmoud Saber, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Imam Ashour.

Attack: Mustafa Abdel Raouf “Zico”, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Ibrahim Adel, Haitham Hassan, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Aktay Abdallah, Hamza Abdel Karim.

For his part, Ibrahim Hassan, director of the Egyptian national team, confirmed the start of the training camp on Thursday at the national teams center, indicating that the final list will be decided after the friendly match with Russia, in compliance with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regulations that specify 26 players on World Cup rosters.