Ahmed El Khodari: Egypt’s National Team Poised for Success in World Cup 2026

Sports analyst Ahmed El Khodari has raised the banner of ambition for Egypt’s national football team as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, expressing confidence that they can achieve significant success in the tournament.

This marks Egypt’s fourth appearance in the World Cup, where they will compete in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand.

In an exclusive interview with the “Al-Aweek” portal, El Khodari stated, “Egypt is capable of advancing beyond the group stage and reaching the knockout rounds. We possess all the necessary qualities to surpass the initial phases of the tournament.”.

He further noted, “In my opinion, Portugal is a strong contender for the title, along with France, Brazil, and Spain, which also have the potential to win the World Cup.”.

Discussing Morocco’s chances, El Khodari remarked that while Morocco is one of Africa’s strongest teams, it is unlikely to replicate its success from the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He emphasized that history does not repeat itself and identified Egypt and Senegal as potential surprise teams from Africa in this year’s tournament.

Regarding Mohamed Hani’s ability to defend against Europe’s top stars, he asserted that Hani is currently the best player in his position within the Egyptian league. He added, “This is our best option right now.”.

On the exclusion of Mostafa Mohamed from the squad, El Khodari stated that head coach Hossam Hassan must take responsibility for his selections and that discussing this decision would be unproductive.