The Egyptian national football team, affectionately known as ‘The Pharaohs,’ has officially punched their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In a decisive qualification match against Djibouti, the North African giants secured a crucial victory, guaranteeing them the top spot in Group 1 and making them the third African nation to qualify for the global tournament [00:07].
The victory was sealed with a commanding display, highlighting the team’s strength and focus throughout the qualification process.
Salah’s Masterclass Overshadows Recent Club Form
The undeniable star of the show was captain Mohamed Salah. Despite facing recent scrutiny over his form at Liverpool—having scored just three goals in nine matches across all competitions at the time—Salah rose to the occasion for his country, delivering a match-winning performance that saw him net a vital brace [00:34].
The team got off to a blistering start, with Ibrahim Adel opening the scoring in the eighth minute [00:27]. It didn’t take long for Salah to make his mark, adding the second goal in the 14th minute against a team ranked significantly lower than Egypt [00:42].
The second half solidified the victory. Salah capped off his exceptional outing by netting his second goal—Egypt’s third—with a moment of sheer class: a sophisticated first-time lob from inside the box [00:57]. The victory ensures the team wraps up qualification with one game still to play.
Breaking the World Cup Cycle
While Egypt boasts a continental record with seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, their history at the World Cup has been notably challenging. The qualification for 2026 marks only the fourth time in history they will appear on the global stage, following their previous showings in 1934, 1990, and 2018 [01:11]. In all three previous appearances, the team failed to advance past the group stage [01:20].
The early qualification for the expanded 2026 tournament offers the team and its passionate fans a renewed sense of hope. With star power like Mohamed Salah leading the charge and a dominant run in the qualifiers, The Pharaohs will be aiming to finally break their long-standing group stage jinx and make a historic run in North America.
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