Egypt's World Cup 2026 Revival: Hassan Sparks a New Era for the Pharaohs

Egypt clinches 2026 World Cup berth as Hassan's rebuild bears fruit

Egypt secured a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 3-0 victory over Djibouti on Wednesday night, in the ninth and penultimate round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. The win confirmed Egypt at the top of Group A with 28 points, five clear of Burkina Faso with one match left.

Hassan's side have long been tipped to transform the national team since he took charge in February 2024, replacing the Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria after a surprise Africa Cup of Nations exit. Over roughly 20 months, he has rekindled the team's spark and steered them to a World Cup finals berth and a likely Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco later this year.

In a historic twist, Hassan would become the first Egyptian player to later coach a World Cup squad if he remains in charge through 2026. He has also shifted the balance away from relying on Mohamed Salah, introducing a more varied attack with wingers Ahmed Mostafa Zizo and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, and finding ways to use youngster Ibrahim Adel and other options.

The defense has hardened under Hassan. Egypt have conceded eight goals in 15 matches, and they have kept ten clean sheets, a mark that reflects greater organization and discipline, even if the challenge came against some less daunting opponents in Africa's qualifiers.

Another noteworthy change has been the aging curve: average ages have dropped from the high 20s to mid-20s, as younger players from the Olympic generation—like Ibrahim Adel, Ahmed Nabil Koka, Mahmoud Saber and Osama Faisal—gained more playing time and belief. Coach Hassan also gave more chances to players like Ahmed Eid and Mohammed Shahat, continuing a broader renewal drive.

Discipline has been a hallmark of Hassan's leadership. He has handled egos with calm, keeping Salah's captaincy intact while enforcing his own administrative and tactical approach. He even left out players such as Imam Ashour and Mustafa Mohamed at times when commitment or fitness did not meet the standard he demanded.

With qualification secured, attention turns to the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and the question of whether Hassan can guide Egypt to further glory. If he leads the team to success in 2025's continental showpiece, he would join Mahmoud El-Gohary as one of the few Egyptians to win both the continent's crown and have a World Cup participation under their belt as both player and coach.

For now, Salah remains a central figure, but the new look and the added depth give Egypt a more balanced, less Salah-dependent approach—one that also preserves a strong defensive backbone and a clear, modern plan for the future.

Humor break: They say a good defense is like good Wi-Fi—when it's strong, you barely notice it; when it's down, everything crashes. And if Hassan can keep this up, Egypt's fans will need less caffeine and more hats, because the hat-trick of wins is about to become a habit. If Hassan ever loses a match, he'll blame it on the referee… from a time zone where the game starts at dawn. The defense? It’s so solid that even the stadium lights refuse to blink.