Heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, record African champions Egypt have understandably chosen to continue leaning on a core of mostly veteran players, given they boast one of the oldest squads on average in the tournament.
Their ideology has always relied heavily on experienced heads who can withstand pressure in a rugged low-block set up and then freeing up pacey attackers like Omar Marmoush and the legendary Mo Salah to deliver sucker-punches.
It is a framework built on physical grit, but heading into the high-intensity transition states of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’s a formula that runs the risk of looking entirely stationary.
Despite that approach, head coach Hossam Hassan still found room for some youthful players in the team, even though only three players under the age of 25 have managed to force their way onto the plane to North America.
Striver.Football breaks down the three players, and what impact they might have for Egypt, who will be seeking to make it out of the group stages for the first time in their history.
3. Haissem Hassan (Real Oviedo)
Age: 24
Position: Right Winger
Style: Haissem Hassan is one of a few players in the current squad that was actually not born and raised in his motherland. Hassan was born to an Egyptian father and a Tunisian mother in France.
He came through the youth academies of Paris FC and Chateauroux before moving to Villareal in 2020. Following a series of loans in Spain, he joined Real Oviedo in 2024, and has gone on to feature 74 times for them.
Hassan is a pure, explosive touchline-hugger who is highly vertical down the right flank, using a relentless, aggressive dribbling style specifically designed to isolate full-backs, collapse defensive structures, and deliver lethal crosses into the box.
At AFCON 2025, Egypt lacked a lot of natural width down the flanks, as they relied heavily on Marmoush and Salah’s natural inclination to drift centrally, which made it hard for them against teams that sat back.
Hassan will be able to help them drag defenders out of position, which will create space for Salah to drift into central, half-space shooting lanes. It will also open up critical central gaps for late midfield runners like Emam Ashour to exploit.
2. Tarek Alaa (Zed FC - On loan from Pyramids FC)
Age: 24
Position: Right-Back / Defensive Midfielder
Style: Tarek Alaa is a highly versatile defensive hybrid who has excelled in the Egyptian top flight.
Alaa is comfortable acting as an inverted fullback, slipping cleanly into central midfield spaces to help recycle possession and break the initial lines of the opposition pressure.
At the World Cup, Egypt will be up against Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand, and will rely heavily on versatility in game depending on enforced change in approach.
Alaa could serve as Egypt’s defensive insurance policy. Whether deployed to track overlapping wingers or used out of possession to sit deep ahead of the back four, his positional intelligence allows Egypt to absorb pressure without completely breaking shape.
1. Mahmoud Saber (ZED on loan from Pyramids FC)
Age: 24
Position: Central Midfield
Style: Mahmoud Saber has come through the youth ranks in Egypt as one of the most highly regarded creative heartbeats. In 2023, Saber was integral to their incredible run to the U-23 AFCON final.
Saber is an aggressive, press-resistant deep-lying playmaker who possesses an exceptional, velvet-smooth first touch under intense physical pressure and a line-breaking progressive passing radar that can instantly turn deep possession into an active counter-attack.
For years, Egypt's midfield core has leaned on tireless, purely destructive enforcers like Mohammed El Neny who prioritize structural safety over forward distribution. Saber introduces a necessary technical upgrade.
He serves as the crucial transitional link, picking up the ball from deep defensive phases and rapidly feeding it into vertical channels before opposing defensive blocks can reorganise. He is also capable of shooting from outside the box, which gives Egypt another tool in their locker to use.
Can Egypt's Youngsters Help Rewrite World Cup History?
Although Egypt will likely continue favoring structured safety-first tactics for the upcoming tournament, they at least have the unpredictability of youthful flair to still call upon.
With it highly expected to be Mo Salah’s last dance, the explosive wide capabilities of Hassan, the defensive flexibility of Alaa, and the transitional vision of Saber could help supplement his legendary finishing skills, and give him the platform he may need to be freed up and do what he does best, especially after a challenging last season at Liverpool.
