Salah Leads Egypt to the 2026 World Cup Finals for the Fourth Time in Its History

In the ninth round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, star Mohamed Salah led the Egyptian national team to qualify for the finals after a deserved victory over Djibouti with three goals to none, in a match held at the Al-Arabi Al-Zawali Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.

Mohamed Salah scored two wonderful goals in the 14th and 84th minutes, after Ibrahim Adel opened the scoring for Egypt in the 8th minute of the match.

Thanks to this victory, Egypt raised its points to 23 at the top of Group A, surpassing Burkina Faso by five points, which won against Sierra Leone 1-0 on the same day, making it impossible for the Burkinabe team to catch up in the final round.

This match was the ninth out of ten in the qualifiers, allowing the Egyptian national team to qualify for the World Cup finals for the fourth time in its history, having participated in the tournament in 1934, 1990, and 2018.

This qualification is a new achievement for Salah, who has become the all-time top scorer for the Egyptian national team in World Cup qualifiers, raising his tally to 20 goals in the qualifiers, while his total international goals with the Pharaohs reached 61 goals.

In the 8th minute, Ibrahim Adel scored the first goal with a wonderful header following a precise cross from Ahmed Mostafa (Zizo).

In the 14th minute, Mohamed Salah added the second goal after a brilliant through ball from Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet), turning the ball into the left corner of the net.

In the 84th minute, Salah added his second and third goals for Egypt after a precise pass from Marwan Attia, sealing the qualification definitively.

This qualification is the first for Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan, who became the first Egyptian to qualify for the World Cup as both a player and a coach, having led the team in the 1990 finals in Italy.

The Egyptian national team will conclude the World Cup qualifiers with a match against Guinea-Bissau at Cairo Stadium next Sunday, in a match that will serve as a public celebration for the Egyptian team on the occasion of their qualification.

On the other hand, Djibouti's journey in the qualifiers stopped at one point at the bottom of the group standings, leaving the competition without a chance to advance.

In conclusion, with the Egyptian national team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the country continues its legacy in the world of football, and players and fans are preparing to celebrate a new participation on the largest sports stage in the world.