Egypt national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Egypt

Nickname(s)	The Pharaohs
Association	Egyptian Football Association (EFA)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNAF (North Africa)
Head coach	Hossam Hassan
Captain	Mohamed Salah
Most caps	Ahmed Hassan (184)
Top scorer	Hossam Hassan (69)
Home stadium	Misr Stadium
FIFA code	EGY
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	57 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	9 (July – September 2010, December 2010)
Lowest	75 (March 2013)
First international
Italy 2–1 Egypt  (Ghent, Belgium; 28 August 1920)
Biggest win
United Arab Republic 15–0 Laos  (Jakarta, Indonesia; 15 November 1963)
Biggest defeat
Italy 11–3 Egypt  (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 9 June 1928)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 1934)
Best result	Round of 16 (1934)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	27 (first in 1957)
Best result	Champions (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 1999)
Best result	Group stage (1999, 2009)
Medal record Men's football Africa Cup of Nations Gold 1957 Sudan Team Gold 1959 United Arab Republic Team Gold 1986 Egypt Team Gold 1998 Burkina Faso Team Gold 2006 Egypt Team Gold 2008 Ghana Team Gold 2010 Angola Team Silver 1962 Ethiopia Team Silver 2017 Gabon Team Silver 2021 Cameroon Team Bronze 1963 Ghana Team Bronze 1970 Sudan Team Bronze 1974 Egypt Team FIFA Arab Cup Gold 1992 Syria Team Bronze 1988 Jordan Team Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Silver 1987 Qatar Team Silver 2007 Japan Team

The Egypt national football team is also known as the Pharaohs. This team plays for Egypt in international men's football games. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) manages the team.

Egypt has the oldest national football team in Africa. They have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times! The team has played in the FIFA World Cup three times. They were the first team from Africa and the Middle East to ever play in the World Cup. Their former goalkeeper, Essam El Hadary, is the oldest player to have played in a World Cup.

Egypt also won a bronze medal at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina.

Team History

Early Years and First World Cup

The first Egyptian national football team was formed in 1920. This was the first African football team created to play in the Summer Olympics in Belgium. Their first game was a loss against Italy.

Egypt national team at the 1920 Summer Olympics

Egypt has qualified for the FIFA World Cup three times: in 1934, 1990, and 2018. Egypt was the first African country to qualify for the World Cup. They beat Mandatory Palestine to get there. In 1934, they lost to Hungary 4–2 in their only match. Abdulrahman Fawzi scored both Egyptian goals.

Egypt national football team at the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy

Abdulrahman Fawzi scored two goals in the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

Egypt did not enter the 1950 World Cup qualification. In 1954, they tried to qualify but lost to Italy.

Africa Cup of Nations Success

Egypt first played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1957. They won their first game against Sudan 2–1 in the semi-final. Then, Egypt won the final 4–0, becoming champions!

Egypt captain Hanafy Bastan holding the African Cup of Nations trophy in 1957

One year later, in 1959, Egypt won the AFCON again. Only three teams played in that tournament: Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. Egypt was undefeated.

Between 1958 and 1961, Egypt was part of a political union with Syria called the United Arab Republic. However, FIFA still counts the Egyptian team's records as belonging only to Egypt.

Egypt did not qualify for the AFCON for the first time in 1972. Morocco eliminated them. However, Egypt returned in 1974 and hosted the event. They finished in third place.

Egypt at the 1974 African Cup of Nations

In 1986, Egypt hosted the AFCON again. They won the tournament for the third time.

World Cup and AFCON in the 1990s and 2000s

Egypt qualified for the 1990 World Cup. They were in a group with Ireland, England, and the Netherlands. They scored only one goal in the tournament. A 1–1 draw with the Netherlands gave Egypt their first World Cup point. They then drew against Ireland and lost 0–1 to England.

The team lost both of their matches in the 1992 AFCON. In 1994, Egypt reached the quarter-finals but lost to Mali. Egypt won their fourth AFCON title in 1998, beating South Africa in the final.

In the 2004 AFCON, Egypt was in Group C. They won one game, lost one, and drew one. They did not make it to the quarter-finals.

Egypt hosted the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. They won the tournament on penalties. They also won the 2008 and 2010 tournaments. This made them champions three times in a row! After this, they did not qualify for the next three AFCONs.

Recent Tournaments

Egypt qualified for the 2017 AFCON. They drew their first match against Mali. They then won 1–0 against Uganda and Ghana. This helped them reach the quarter-finals as group winners. Egypt beat Morocco in the quarter-finals. They then faced Burkina Faso in the semi-finals. Mohamed Salah scored a goal, but the game ended in a draw. Goalkeeper Essam El Hadary saved two penalties in the shootout. Egypt reached the final but lost to Cameroon.

On October 8, 2017, Egypt qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They won their qualification group. In the World Cup, Egypt was in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and Russia. They lost their first game to Uruguay 1–0. Mohamed El Shenawy was named man of the match. Salah returned for the game against Russia. He scored Egypt's first World Cup goal in 28 years, but they lost 3–1. Egypt's last match was against Saudi Arabia. Essam El Hadary became the oldest player in the World Cup at 45 years old. Egypt lost 2–1.

Egypt national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt hosted the tournament. They won all three group stage matches. However, they were knocked out by South Africa in the Round of 16.

In the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt reached the final. They beat Ivory Coast and Cameroon in penalty shootouts. This was their 10th final appearance, a new record. Egypt lost to Senegal in the final on penalties. They also lost to Senegal in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, again on penalties.

Team Information

Home Stadium

Egypt's home matches have been played at Cairo International Stadium since 1960. When the stadium is being fixed, they play at Borg El Arab Stadium.

Kit Suppliers

Kit provider	Period
Adidas	1990–1995
Venecia	1995–1998
Puma	1999–2004
Adidas	2004–2006
Puma	2006–2012
Adidas	2012–2018
Puma	2019–present

Recent Matches

Here are the results from the last year and upcoming matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Egypt  v  Burkina Faso

6 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	2–1	Burkina Faso	Cairo, Egypt
22:00 UTC+2	Trézéguet  3', 8'		L.Traoré  57'	Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya)

Guinea-Bissau  v  Egypt

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Guinea-Bissau	1–1	Egypt	Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
16:00 UTC±0	Baldé  42'		Salah  70'	Stadium: Estádio 24 de Setembro Referee: Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)

Egypt  v  Cape Verde

6 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Egypt	3–0	Cape Verde	Cairo, Egypt
22:00 UTC+2	Rabia  23' Marmoush  45+1' Adel  70'			Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Abongile Tom (South Africa)

Botswana  v  Egypt

10 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Botswana	0–4	Egypt	Francistown, Botswana
19:00 UTC+2			Trézéguet  5', 29' Salah  56' Fathi  90+4'	Stadium: Obed Itani Chilume Stadium Attendance: 26,000 Referee: Omar Artan (Somalia)

Egypt  v  Mauritania

11 October 2025 AFCON qualification	Egypt	2–0	Mauritania	Cairo, Egypt
19:00 UTC+2	Trézéguet  69' Salah  79'			Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Referee: Alhadi Allaou (Chad)

Mauritania  v  Egypt

15 October 2025 AFCON qualification	Mauritania	0–1	Egypt	Nouakchott, Mauritania
19:00 UTC±0			Adel  85'	Stadium: Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium Referee: Imtehaz Heeralall (Mauritius)

Cape Verde  v  Egypt

15 November 2025 AFCON qualification	Cape Verde	1–1	Egypt	Praia, Cape Verde
18:00 UTC±0	Mendes  63' (pen.)		Mohamed  31'	Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)

Egypt  v  Botswana

19 November 2025 AFCON qualification	Egypt	1–1	Botswana	Cairo, Egypt
17:00 UTC±0	Trézéguet  15'		Kebatho  8'	Stadium: 30 June Stadium Referee: Abdallah L. Jammeh (Gambia)

2025 Matches

Ethiopia  v  Egypt

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Ethiopia	0–2	Egypt	Casablanca, Morocco
23:00 UTC+1			Salah  31' Zizo  40'	Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium Attendance: 300 Referee: Patrice Milazar (Mauritius)

Egypt  v  Sierra Leone

25 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	1–0	Sierra Leone	Cairo, Egypt
21:00 UTC+2	Zizo  45+2'			Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Referee: Ahmad Heeralall (Mauritius)

Egypt  v  Ethiopia

September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	–	Ethiopia
--:-- UTC+2

Egypt  v  Burkina Faso

September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	–	Burkina Faso
--:-- UTC±0

Egypt  v  Djibouti

October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	–	Djibouti
--:-- UTC+3

Egypt  v  Guinea-Bissau

October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Egypt	–	Guinea-Bissau
--:-- UTC+2

Egypt  v  Jordan

December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Egypt	–	Jordan	Qatar
--:-- UTC+3

Egypt  v  United Arab Emirates

December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Egypt	–	United Arab Emirates	Qatar
--:-- UTC+3

Egypt  v  Kuwait/ Mauritania

December 2025 FIFA Arab Cup	Egypt	–	Kuwait/ Mauritania	Qatar
--:-- UTC+3

Egypt  v  Zimbabwe

22 December 2025 AFCON Group B	Egypt	–	Zimbabwe	Agadir, Morocco
19:00 UTC+1				Stadium: Adrar Stadium

Egypt  v  South Africa

26 December 2025 AFCON Group B	Egypt	–	South Africa	Agadir, Morocco
19:00 UTC+1				Stadium: Adrar Stadium

Egypt  v  Angola

29 December 2025 AFCON Group B	Egypt	–	Angola	Agadir, Morocco
21:30 UTC+1				Stadium: Adrar Stadium

Coaching Staff

Role	Name
Technical Director	Hossam Hassan
Assistant Technical director	Alaa Nabil
Director of the team	Ibrahim Hassan
General coach	Tarek Soliman
Assistant coach	Mohamed Abdel Wahed
Goalkeeper coach	Saafan El-Sagheer
Load trainer	Manuel Barrionuevo
Performance analyst	Mahmoud Seleem

Coaching History

Hassan Shehata

Mahmoud El Gohary

Hanafy Bastan

Note: ¹ A committee of six former Egypt internationals.

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches in March 2025.
Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of March 25, 2025.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mohamed El Shenawy	(1988-12-18) 18 December 1988 (age 36)	64	0	Al Ahly
16	1GK	Mohamed Awad	(1992-07-06) 6 July 1992 (age 33)	4	0	Zamalek
23	1GK	Mostafa Shobeir	(2000-03-17) 17 March 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Al Ahly
	1GK	Abdelaziz El Balouti	(1994-01-08) 8 January 1994 (age 31)	0	0	National Bank of Egypt
2	2DF	Khaled Sobhi	(1995-05-04) 4 May 1995 (age 30)	3	0	Al Masry
3	2DF	Mohamed Hany	(1996-01-25) 25 January 1996 (age 29)	25	0	Al Ahly
4	2DF	Hossam Abdelmaguid	(2001-04-30) 30 April 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Zamalek
5	2DF	Ramy Rabia	(1993-05-20) 20 May 1993 (age 32)	32	5	Al Ahly
6	2DF	Mohamed Abdelmonem	(1999-02-01) 1 February 1999 (age 26)	33	3	Nice
12	2DF	Ahmed Eid	(2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 24)	3	0	Al Masry
7	3MF	Trézéguet	(1994-10-01) 1 October 1994 (age 30)	82	22	Al Ahly
8	3MF	Mahmoud Saber	(2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Smouha
13	3MF	Mohamed Shehata	(2001-02-08) 8 February 2001 (age 24)	4	0	Zamalek
14	3MF	Hamdy Fathy	(1994-09-29) 29 September 1994 (age 30)	49	3	Al-Wakrah
15	3MF	Ahmed Nabil Koka	(2001-07-04) 4 July 2001 (age 24)	7	0	Al Ahly
17	3MF	Donga	(1996-04-06) 6 April 1996 (age 29)	9	0	Zamalek
18	3MF	Mostafa Fathi	(1994-05-12) 12 May 1994 (age 31)	35	3	Pyramids
19	3MF	Marwan Attia	(1998-08-12) 12 August 1998 (age 27)	21	0	Al Ahly
21	3MF	Zizo	(1996-01-10) 10 January 1996 (age 29)	47	4	Al Ahly
9	4FW	Osama Faisal	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 24)	9	0	National Bank of Egypt
10	4FW	Mohamed Salah	(1992-06-15) 15 June 1992 (age 33)	105	60	Liverpool
11	4FW	Mostafa Mohamed	(1997-11-28) 28 November 1997 (age 27)	47	13	Nantes
20	4FW	Ibrahim Adel	(2001-04-23) 23 April 2001 (age 24)	13	2	Pyramids
22	4FW	Omar Marmoush	(1999-02-07) 7 February 1999 (age 26)	37	6	Manchester City

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	El Mahdy Soliman	(1987-06-08) 8 June 1987 (age 38)	0	0	Al Ittihad Alexandria	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
DF	Mohamed Hamdy	(1995-03-15) 15 March 1995 (age 30)	25	0	Pyramids	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
DF	Omar Kamal	(1993-09-29) 29 September 1993 (age 31)	23	1	Al Ahly	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
DF	Beckham	(1997-03-23) 23 March 1997 (age 28)	6	0	Ceramica Cleopatra	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
DF	Mohamed Rabia	(1996-05-05) 5 May 1996 (age 29)	2	0	Smouha	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
DF	Ahmed Fotouh	(1998-03-22) 22 March 1998 (age 27)	28	1	Zamalek	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
DF	Akram Tawfik	(1997-11-08) 8 November 1997 (age 27)	12	1	Al-Shamal	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
DF	Yasser Ibrahim	(1993-02-10) 10 February 1993 (age 32)	6	0	Al Ahly	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
MF	Nasser Maher	(1997-02-08) 8 February 1997 (age 28)	4	0	Zamalek	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
MF	Mohamed Elneny	(1992-07-11) 11 July 1992 (age 33)	102	8	Al Jazira	v.  Botswana; 10 September 2024
FW	Taher Mohamed	(1997-03-07) 7 March 1997 (age 28)	4	1	Al Ahly	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
FW	Zalaka	(1999-09-12) 12 September 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Ceramica Cleopatra	v.  Botswana; 19 November 2024
FW	Mohamed Sherif	(1996-02-04) 4 February 1996 (age 29)	21	3	Al Ahly	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
FW	Emam Ashour	(1998-02-20) 20 February 1998 (age 27)	18	0	Al Ahly	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
FW	Oufa	(1996-10-06) 6 October 1996 (age 28)	2	0	ENPPI	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 10 June 2024
Notes INJ = Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE = Preliminary squad/standby. RET = Retired from the national team. SUS = Player suspended from the squad for disciplinary reasons. WD = Player withdrew from the squad for non-injury related reasons.

Team Records

Most Games Played

Ahmed Hassan has played the most games for Egypt with 184 appearances.

Top Goal Scorers

Hossam Hassan is Egypt's top goal scorer with 69 goals. He is also the current manager of the team.

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

• CAF African Cup of Nations
  • Champions (7): 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
  • Runners-up (3): 1962, 2017, 2021
  • Third place (3): 1963, 1970, 1974

Regional Competitions

• Arab Games
  • Gold medal (4): 1953, 1965, 1992, 2007
• Arab Cup
  • Champions (1): 1992
  • Third place (1): 1988
• Palestine Cup of Nations
  • Champions (2): 1972, 1975

Awards

• African National Team of the Year: 1998, 2008, 2017
• Africa Cup of Nations Fair Play Award: 2017

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Egipto para niños