Nantes star Mostafa Mohamed a surprise omission from Egypt's 2026 World Cup squad

Mostafa Mohamed waves to Nantes supporters after the match

Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been left out of ⁠Egypt's preliminary squad for next month's World Cup but uncapped teenager Hamza Abdelkarim, who plays for ‌the Barcelona under-19 team, was included.

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah will captain ‌the squad and combine with Manchester City's Omar ‌Marmoush to lead the attack at the World Cup, which ‌runs from June 11 to July 19 in ‌the US, Canada and Mexico.

Coach Hossam Hassan will drop one player to reduce the squad to the FIFA-mandated 26 players ‌after Egypt take on Russia in Cairo ⁠on May 28 in ‌their last home friendly before heading to the United States.

Mohamed ​was a surprise omission, even if he has struggled for form with only four goals ​in 24 matches this season for Nantes as the French club were relegated from Ligue 1.

Mostafa Mohamed's stats in Ligue 1 in 2025/26

Abdelkarim, by contrast, ⁠has been in great ​form for the Barcelona youth team and is one of the most promising forward talents in Egyptian football.

Egypt will play Brazil in a friendly in Cleveland on ‌June 6 before opening their World Cup campaign against Belgium in Seattle nine days later.

They then face New Zealand in Vancouver on June 21 before returning to Seattle five days later to round out their Group G matches against Iran.

Egypt squad:

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly), Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly), El Mahdi Soliman (Zamalek), Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna)

Defenders: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Tarek Alaa (Zed), Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah), ‌Rami Rabia (Al Ain), Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Mohamed ​Abdelmonemn (Nice), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek), Karim Hafez (Pyramids)

Midfielders: Marwan Ateya (Al Ahly), Mohanad ‌Lasheen (Pyramids), Nabil Emad (Al Najma), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Ahmed Zizo (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Al Ahly), Mostafa Ziko (Pyramids), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Ahly), Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland), Haissem Hassan (Real Ovideo)

Forwards: Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona U19)