The Egyptian national football team players celebrated qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and pledged to compete for the Africa Cup of Nations title to be held in Morocco at the end of this year.

Egypt secured its qualification for the World Cup for the fourth time in its history after defeating Djibouti 3-0 on Wednesday in Casablanca, Morocco, securing first place in Group A of the African qualifiers with 23 points, five points ahead of second-placed Burkina Faso, with one round remaining in the qualifiers.

The Egyptian players celebrated both in the locker rooms at the Al-Arabi Al-Zawali Stadium and at the accommodation hotel.

Mohamed El-Shenawy, the Pharaohs’ goalkeeper, said in a television statement, “I am proud to be part of this generation that has qualified for the World Cup twice. Reaching the World Cup for the second time after participating in the 2018 Russia edition is a great honor for me.”

Meanwhile, striker Mostafa Mohamed described his teammates as “men of the highest caliber who deserve to qualify for the World Cup,” noting that qualifying for every edition should become a natural expectation in the future, with an aim to reach the furthest stage in the tournament.

The Nantes striker added, “The support of the Egyptian fans never stops, and I hope it continues at the World Cup and before that at the Africa Cup of Nations, which we dream of winning.”

Mohamed Salah’s teammates will play in Group B in the Nations Cup hosted by Morocco next December alongside Zimbabwe, Angola, and South Africa. Mohamed added, “We will give our all in the tournament because we have distinguished players and a top-level technical staff. We will fight in the tournament until we achieve our goal in the end.”

Focus on the Africa Cup of Nations

Midfielder Marwan Attia expressed his happiness with the qualification, saying, “I am proud to be part of the team that qualified for the World Cup. I hope we achieve positive results there.”

Egypt has never won a match in its previous three World Cup participations, having drawn two games and lost four.

Attia added, “Our focus now will be on the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. I dream of winning because Egypt is a great team capable of claiming the title after an absence.”

The Pharaohs have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times, the last being in 2010.

Defender Mohamed Hany described Egypt’s qualification as a “big dream,” noting that he has dreamed of participating in the World Cup since childhood. He added, “The qualifiers were not easy because all African teams have professionals in the biggest European clubs. But we also have Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, in addition to major stars in the local league.”

Hany, who participated with Al Ahly in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States last summer, said, “There were many negatives in terms of organization, especially regarding weather and stadiums. We hope things will be better next summer at the World Cup.”

Midfielder Mohand Lashin considered qualifying for the World Cup the most important achievement in his football career, adding, “Our success in leading the national team to the World Cup for the fourth time in Egypt’s history will place us in the records of Egyptian football history.”

In a related context, former Egypt coach Hassan Shehata congratulated current coach Hossam Hassan on the qualification.

Shehata, who led the Pharaohs from 2006 to 2011 and won three Africa Cup of Nations titles with Egypt, said in a television interview, “I congratulate the Egyptian people and the national team players. Hossam Hassan deserves praise because he rightfully led Egypt to the World Cup.”

Shehata failed to qualify Egypt for the World Cup after losing the decisive match against Algeria in the 2010 qualifiers held in South Africa. He added, “The Egyptian players made us proud. All this did not come from nowhere but from the efforts and cooperation of everyone, whether the players, technical staff, or football association.”