Egypt Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy Confident Ahead of 'Huge' World Cup Opener Against Belgium

The Pharaohs will commence their Group G campaign at Seattle Stadium. Egypt will be appearing in the global tournament for the fourth time, having previously qualified in 934, 1990, and 2018.

They hold the historic honour of being the first African and Arab country to feature in the tournament. In spite of their achievements on the continent, they have yet to secure a victory in the World Cup finals.

'It's a major match for us'

Speaking before their opening match, El Shenawy told FIFA.com: “This will be a massive game for us. We have faced Belgium previously, but the situation now is markedly different, and the conditions will also vary.

“It is unquestionably a huge occasion for us and a landmark event for the players who will encounter Belgium for the first time in that stadium. And naturally, the supporters will be present, cheering for both sides.

“It is a significant match for us, and the most crucial thing is that we enter it with full assurance. God willing, we will be able to emerge with the win.”

On why Egypt are yet to win the World Cup despite possessing quality players, he said: “We have lacked experience. We had not qualified for the World Cup in 28 years, and it was the team's first time competing at that level, so it was only natural that we lacked experience.

“But we have gained a great deal of experience since that tournament, playing matches against major international teams.

“Today, the picture is much clearer for us, and we can achieve something special at the upcoming World Cup. Of course, we must define our objectives and ambitions to reach the latter stages of the tournament. Right now, it is essential that we qualify for the knockout rounds.

“Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet and I have played in the World Cup before, and we can pass that experience on to the rest of the squad and help them acclimatise to the tournament environment.

“We are preparing to face some very strong sides at the World Cup. And that will work in our favour, because we will go into the tournament at peak readiness.”

Sights set on World Cup title

On what Egypt can achieve in the 2026 World Cup, he said: “As far as I am concerned, I am dead set on going all the way at the World Cup. It will certainly be difficult, but my own objective and ambition is to win the tournament.

"First and foremost, though – on a team level and for me personally, with this being my second World Cup – I am fully aware of the quality of the teams who will be there.

“We are talking among ourselves and pursuing our ambitions step by step, starting with getting through the first round. So, if you ask me what my dream is, I will say it is to lift the World Cup.”

El Shenawy continued: “The squad are currently focusing on friendlies and preparing for the World Cup. We aspire to get to a point where we achieve something new – something that has never been achieved before.

“As I said, the first step is getting through the first round, then we will approach the next stage one step at a time as well. For us, progressing that far in the tournament would be an enormous achievement.”

El Shenawy put on a goalkeeping clinic against Uruguay at Russia 2018, and has since cemented his status as one of the Pharaohs' biggest stars.

Revisiting the performance in Russia, he said: “Of course, I remember it vividly. It was my first World Cup match. Egypt had not been to the tournament in 28 years, so every player was completely focussed.

“We could not sleep the night before; we were so focussed and excited. Most of the players who were due to feature could not sleep, and the match was scheduled for noon. It was a dream come true for all of us, and fans across Egypt were eagerly anticipating the match.

“We all understood that we were representing the entire Egyptian people, and it is a source of pride to represent your country on that sort of stage.

“For us, it was the event of a lifetime. Thank God, we went in highly motivated and delivered a strong performance. And thank God, I was named Man of the Match.

“It was an extraordinary moment for me to win that award and to be recognised as the best goalkeeper in my very first World Cup match. I never expected to win it, but it was the reward for a long stretch of hard work by all of us. Thank God, we did a good job, and we ask God to grant us success in this World Cup as well.”

The Al Ahly captain is now set to join an exclusive group as one of only three Egyptian players to feature in two World Cups, alongside Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet – both also part of the squad eight years ago.