The Egyptian national team has become the talk of the global press following manager Hossam Hassan’s announcement of the final “Pharaohs” squad for the 2026 World Cup. In an unprecedented move, Hassan has decided to include four goalkeepers: Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed El Shenawy, El Mahdy Soliman, and Mohamed Alaa.
With this decision, Egypt becomes the first team in World Cup history to officially include four goalkeepers in a final squad. Spanish outlet Sport expressed bewilderment at the move, which many critics view as a wasted roster spot that could have bolstered other positions, such as the attack.
Contrasting Approaches: Germany and Spain
The surprise stems from comparing Egypt’s strategy with other top nations. Julian Nagelsmann (Germany) brought four keepers to camp but officially registered only three (Neuer, Baumann, and Nübel), while the fourth, Jonas Urbig, is present only for training. Similarly, Spain’s Luis de la Fuente trimmed his preliminary list to just three keepers (Joan García, Unai Simón, and David Raya), dropping Alex Remiro.
Internal Decisions and Striker Shortage
Reports in Egypt suggest that the decision to stick with four keepers was pushed by the team’s director, Ibrahim Hassan, though the tactical reasoning remains undisclosed.
This choice is particularly controversial given that Hossam Hassan ultimately excluded striker Aqtay Abdullah from the traveling party. Consequently, Egypt heads to the United States on Saturday with only two recognized forwards: Omar Marmoush and Hamza Abdel Karim.
