Egypt through to tound of 32 but Salah injury raises concern

Egypt secured a place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but concerns over Mohamed Salah's fitness overshadowed their qualification after the captain was forced off during a 1-1 draw against Iran in Seattle.

The Group G encounter saw Salah substituted in the 57th minute, with the forward appearing to struggle with an injury. Shortly after taking his place on the bench, a member of Egypt's medical team was seen applying an ice pack to what appeared to be his hamstring.

The injury scare has left Egypt waiting for a detailed medical assessment ahead of the knockout stage, with coach Hossam Hassan expressing hope that the problem is not serious.

'He is still being assessed by the medics. We are waiting for the report on Salah. We will see when we go back to the hotel and have another examination as well. I talked to Salah and he said he’s going to be OK and it’s not a big injury," Egypt manager Hossam Hassan answered a journalist when asked about his captain.

Hassan said the initial conversation with Salah offered encouragement, although the team would continue monitoring the situation before making any conclusions.

'We still have time to talk to the medical staff, I think he will be back and when I spoke to Salah he assured me he’s going to be OK," Hassan added.

Despite the setback, Egypt did enough to progress from Group G, finishing second with five points from their three matches.

Belgium ended the group stage at the top of the standings, while Iran finished third and New Zealand placed fourth.

Egypt will now turn their attention to the knockout rounds as they await further updates on the condition of their star player.