Egypt will continue preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they host Russia in an international friendly at Misr Stadium in Cairo on Thursday night.
As FIFA officially confirmed the World Cup base camps for all 48 participating nations ahead of the 2026 tournament, the Pharaohs recently confirmed their official squad for the upcoming tournament, with star forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush both included as head coach Hossam Hassan prepares his side for a return to football’s biggest stage.
After missing out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Egypt secured qualification for the 2026 edition by topping their CAF qualifying group with eight wins and two draws from 10 matches. The North African side were also among the favourites at the 2025-26 Africa Cup of Nations before falling to Senegal in the semi-finals and later losing to Nigeria on penalties in the third-place playoff.
Since then, Egypt have shown strong defensive improvement under Hassan, recording clean sheets in each of their last three matches, including an impressive 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia and a goalless draw away to reigning European champions Spain.
Thursday’s encounter will mark Egypt’s first meeting with Russia since their 3-1 defeat during the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Pharaohs will also face Brazil in another warm-up match before beginning their Group G campaign against Belgium on June 15.
The official Egypt National Team X account announced the start of the countdown to their upcoming match against Russia while sharing training photos of players in action.Images show players in training kits highlighting preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
Russia, meanwhile, continue to operate outside official FIFA and UEFA competitions following their suspension in 2022. However, Valery Karpin’s side have remained active through international friendlies and currently sit 36th in the FIFA rankings after losing only two of their last 25 non-competitive matches.
The visitors recently defeated Nicaragua 3-1 before playing out a goalless draw with Mali during the March international break.
Team News
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has selected a preliminary 27-man squad ahead of the World Cup, with one player expected to be dropped following Thursday’s friendly.
Mostafa Mohamed has been left out of the squad, while 18-year-old Barcelona B forward Hamza Abdelkarim has earned a surprise call-up and could make his senior international debut.
Questions remain over how much involvement Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush will have, although both stars are expected to feature at some stage.
Russia have named a 32-man squad for upcoming friendlies against Egypt, Burkina Faso and Trinidad and Tobago. Monaco midfielder Aleksandr Golovin is expected to captain the side.
Manchester United academy midfielder Amir Ibragimov could also make his senior debut, while Igor Diveyev, Aleksei Miranchuk and Ivan Sergeyev are all available.
Possible Lineups
Egypt possible starting lineup:
El Shenawy; Hany, Fathy, Ibrahim, Fotouh; Lasheen, Ateya; Salah, Ashour, Trezeguet; Marmoush
Russia possible starting lineup:
Agkatsev; Vakhaniya, Silyanov, Melyokhin, Krugovoy; Oblyakov, Kislyak, Barinov; Glushenkov, Sergeyev, Golovin
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | Sporty TV |
| Live Stream | StarTimes ON |
| Kick-off Time | 19:00 (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Egypt 2-1 Russia.
Egypt’s defensive organisation and home advantage could prove decisive against a Russia side still searching for rhythm in international football.
