The technical staff of the Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan, have largely settled on the formation with which they will face Belgium in the first round of Group G matches in the 2026 World Cup.
The Pharaohs will open their World Cup campaign with a tough match against the Belgian national team on Monday evening in the United States, in a match in which the Egyptian team aspires to achieve a positive start against one of the most prominent teams of the European continent.
The last few hours have seen technical considerations within the coaching staff in more than one position, especially in the back line and the attacking third, before settling on the players most likely to start the match.
In the heart of the defense, Hossam Hassan is inclined to rely on Hamdi Fathi alongside Yasser Ibrahim, taking advantage of the former’s experience and ability to occupy more than one position, despite the existence of several other options such as Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Rami Rabia and Hossam Abdel Maguid.
In the middle of the field, the trio of Marwan Attia, Mohannad Lasheen and Emam Ashour seem to be the closest to leading this area, due to their balance between defensive and offensive roles.
In the front line, Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush lead the Egyptian attack, while the competition for the third spot is still ongoing between Mostafa Zico and Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, with a relative advantage for Zico after the good performances he has delivered during recent matches.
The coaching staff is counting on Zico’s outstanding form, as he has scored in his last two appearances for the national team, which has boosted his chances of starting against Belgium.
Egypt’s expected lineup against Belgium
Goalkeeper: Mostafa Shobeir.
Defense: Mohamed Hany – Yasser Ibrahim – Hamdi Fathi – Ahmed Fatouh.
Midfield: Marwan Attia – Mohannad Lasheen – Emam Ashour.
Attack: Mohamed Salah – Omar Marmoush – Mostafa Zico (or Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet).
The Egyptian national team is seeking to achieve a positive result at the start of its journey in Group Seven, which also includes the Iranian and New Zealand national teams, in order to boost its chances early on of qualifying for the next round.
