Egypt lost 2-1 to Brazil in Cleveland, with Zico scoring before the Pharaohs open their World Cup campaign against Belgium.

Egypt lost 2-1 to Brazil in Cleveland on Saturday in their final warm-up match before the 2026 World Cup. Bruno Guimaraes gave Brazil an early lead from inside the box before Egypt equalised through Mostafa Ziko. Endrick scored Brazil’s winner in the second half after an assist from Raphinha.

Mohamed Salah started on the bench, but came in after half-time. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said the forward was ready for matches.

Hassan said he was disappointed by the defeat but satisfied with the players’ performance against the five-time world champions.

Egypt are set to open their Group G campaign against Belgium on Monday, June 15, at 10:00 PM EEST. They will then face New Zealand and Iran.

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Belgium beat Tunisia 5-0 in Brussels in their final warm-up match before facing Egypt in their World Cup opener.

Belgium beat Tunisia 5-0 in Brussels in their final preparation match before opening their World Cup campaign against Egypt.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 27th minute before Charles De Ketelaere doubled Belgium’s lead early in the second half.

Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 in the 64th minute. Dodi Lukebakio added the fourth in the 84th minute before Nicolas Raskin completed the scoring two minutes later.

Tunisia finished the match with 10 players after Ismael Gharbi received a second yellow card in the 61st minute.

The result completed Belgium’s World Cup preparations under Rudi Garcia. The team had also beaten Croatia 2-0 in their previous warm-up match.

Belgium will start Group G against Egypt in Seattle on June 15. They will then face Iran in Los Angeles on June 21 and New Zealand in Vancouver on June 27.

The Pharaohs will play Belgium first before facing New Zealand and Iran.

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Iran condemned the US refusal to issue visas to several national team officials and said it would take the case to FIFA before the World Cup.

The Iranian Football Federation condemned the United States’ refusal to grant entry visas to several national team officials ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The federation said in an official statement that the US decision violated international sports laws and regulations. It said it would pursue the matter through FIFA.

Iran said the rejected visas affected key managerial and administrative members of the national team delegation. The federation described the decision as political and said it had harmed the team’s right to equal treatment during the tournament.

The statement called on FIFA to intervene and secure visas for Iran’s managerial, executive, technical and support staff. It said those staff members are currently with the team and remain necessary for its World Cup preparations.

The dispute comes one day after Iran’s players received US visas before their opening match. Some officials and administrative staff were still waiting for approval.

Iran moved its World Cup base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after earlier visa uncertainty and security concerns. The team will travel into the United States for its group-stage matches.

Team Melli will open Group G against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team will also face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before playing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

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Iran players received USA entry visas days before their opening match in Los Angeles, while some staff members still awaited approval.

Iran’s World Cup players have received visas to enter the United States, a White House official said, easing doubts over the team’s participation.

The visas were granted 10 days before Iran face New Zealand in Los Angeles in their first Group G match at the 2026 World Cup.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had previously said that the squad had not yet received entry visas. A White House official later said that the approvals came overnight.

The issue had disrupted Team Melli’s tournament logistics. The team moved its planned base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, because of the visa delays and broader security concerns.

Iran are due to play their first two group-stage matches in Los Angeles, against New Zealand and Belgium, before facing Egypt in Seattle.

The visa issue has not fully ended, however. Some technical and administrative staff members are still waiting for approval. USA Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said Washington would not allow members of the delegation linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to enter the country.

Iran’s presence in the United States comes amid continuing political and military tensions between Tehran and Washington.

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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has selected Hamza Abdelkarim to join the Catalonian side’s first team during the preseason preparations.

Hansi Flick has chosen Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim to take part in the Barcelona first team preseason preparations ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The 18-year-old will join a group of academy and reserve-team players called up by Flick as several senior players return late because of World Cup commitments.

Barcelona will begin preseason on July 13 with medical and physical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The squad will later travel to St George’s Park in England for part of its summer training camp.

Abdelkarim joined Barça Atlètic from Al Ahly in February on loan until June 30, 2026, with a purchase option included in the agreement.

Barcelona have since moved toward keeping the striker after his performances at youth level.

Flick had previously opened the door to a first team chance for the Egyptian, saying he could become an option during preseason.

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Al Ahly have announced the departure of Danish coach Jess Thorup after less than a season in Cairo, alongside changes to the club’s staff.

Al Ahly ended their contract with Danish head coach Jess Thorup and his coaching staff by mutual consent, the club announced.

The club said Thorup signed a settlement agreement after receiving his contractual dues. Al Ahly thanked Thorup and his assistants for their work with the team.

The decision came after the Cairo giants finished third in the Egyptian Premier League and missed out on qualification for next season’s CAF Champions League.

Al Ahly also exited the CAF Champions League in the quarter-finals and left the Egypt Cup in the round of 32. Thorup won the Egyptian Super Cup during his spell in charge.

The club also announced changes to its football structure. Former defender Wael Gomaa will serve as football director, replacing Walid Salah Eldin.

The Red Devils also named Mohamed Youssef as head of the youth sector and Essam Serag El-Din as head of recruitment. Shady Mohamed will lead the women’s football department, while Ahmed Ramadan will coach the women’s first team.

The club also appointed Abdel Moneim Sheta as academy director, Hisham Hanafy as football supervisor at Delphi, and Samer Abdel Rahman as head coach of Delphi’s football team.

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Neom SC officially announced the departure of Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi after two seasons with the Saudi club.

Saudi club Neom announced the departure of Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi after two seasons with the team.

The club confirmed the move through a farewell video on its official X account. Neom thanked Hegazi for his time with the club, with a heartfelt statement that said, “Beautiful chapters written. Thank you, Ahmed Hegazi, for every moment and memory.”

Hegazi joined Neom in the summer of 2024 from Ittihad Jeddah. He became part of the team that won the Saudi First Division title and earned promotion to the Saudi Pro League.

The 35-year-old played 29 matches for Neom in the 2025-26 season and scored once. Across his spell with the club, he made 52 official appearances.

Hegazi previously played for Ismaily, Fiorentina, Perugia, Al Ahly, West Bromwich Albion and Al-Ittihad.

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Hossam Hassan has named the final 26-man squad for Egypt to travel to the FIFA World Cup after trimming the initial provisional list.

Hossam Hassan has announced Egypt’s final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cutting one player from the provisional roster he named ahead of the Russia friendly.

The final list includes Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Emam Ashour, Mohamed El Shenawy, Mohamed Abdelmonem and Barcelona youth forward Hamza Abdelkarim. Oktay Abdallah dropped out of the squad after joining the preliminary list.

Egypt’s goalkeepers are Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdy Soliman and Mohamed Alaa.

The defensive list includes Mohamed Hany, Tarek El Ashraf, Hamdi Fathy, Ramy Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mohamed Abdelmonem and Ahmed Fatouh.

Hassan also selected Marwan Attia, Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Nabil Emad Donga, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Nasser Maher, Emam Ashour, Ibrahim Adel, Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet, Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Shehata in midfield.

The attacking line includes Mostafa Fathi, Osama Faisal and Hamza Abdelkarim, who earned a senior call-up before making his World Cup debut at senior international level.

Egypt will continue their preparations before travelling to their World Cup base. The Pharaohs are due to play Brazil in Cleveland on June 6 before opening their Group G campaign.

The Egyptian national team has been drawn with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran. They will begin against Belgium on June 15 in Seattle, then face New Zealand on June 21 in Vancouver, before meeting Iran on June 26 in Seattle.

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Egypt defeated Russia in Cairo as Hossam Hassan’s side continued their preparations before heading into World Cup camp.

Egypt beat Russia 1-0 in Cairo on Thursday in their final home friendly before travelling to their World Cup camp.

Mostafa Ziko scored the only goal in the 65th minute at Cairo International Stadium, giving Hossam Hassan’s side a narrow win in their first warm-up match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was goalless at half-time before Egypt took control after the break.

The result gave Egypt another clean sheet during their pre-tournament preparations. The national team had entered the match after a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a goalless draw against Spain in March.

Hassan named a 27-man preliminary squad for the World Cup and will cut one player before submitting his final 26-man list. The Russia match gave the technical staff one final chance to assess the group before the squad moves into its next phase of preparation.

Egypt are preparing for their fourth World Cup appearance after qualifying with eight wins and two draws in 10 matches. The team will start its Group G campaign against Belgium on June 15, before facing New Zealand and Iran.

Russia, who remain barred from FIFA and UEFA competitions, used the match as part of a friendly schedule that also includes Burkina Faso and Trinidad and Tobago.

Egypt will now leave Cairo for their World Cup camp, with the technical staff expected to finalise preparations and confirm the final squad before the tournament begins.

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Al Ahly youngster Ziad Ayoub is set to join Estrela da Amadora on an 18-month loan with a purchase option.

Al Ahly striker Ziad Ayoub is set to join Portuguese side Estrela da Amadora on an 18-month loan deal.

The agreement includes an option to buy set at €500,000. Al Ahly would also keep a 20% sell-on clause if Estrela da Amadora sign the 2008-born forward permanently and later sell him.

Ayoub is expected to travel to Portugal for a medical before Estrela da Amadora complete the move. The loan will run from June and covers a season and a half.

Al Ahly have also extended Ayoub’s contract before sanctioning the loan. The structure allows the Egyptian champions to protect his value while giving him a route into European football.

Estrela da Amadora play in Portugal’s Primeira Liga. The move would place Ayoub in a senior European environment after his development in Al Ahly’s youth sector.

Ayoub becomes another Red Devils academy player to move to Europe in recent months. Hamza Abdelkarim moved to Barcelona’s youth setup, and Belal Ateya agreed a move to Real Racing Santander.

The deal continues the Cairo giants’ recent policy of allowing selected youth players to develop abroad, while retaining future financial rights through purchase options and resale clauses.

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