Egypt has officially secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dominant 3-0 win over Djibouti, led by a brilliant performance from Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian captain scored twice, guiding his nation to victory and ensuring Egypt tops its African qualifying group with one game left to play.
The match showcased Salah’s clinical finishing and leadership as Egypt joined Morocco and Tunisia as the first African nations to book their tickets for the upcoming World Cup 2026. Ibrahim Adel added the third goal to seal a confident victory for the Pharaohs, confirming their qualification in style.
For Salah, this marks a return to the world’s biggest football stage after leading Egypt to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he played despite recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in the Champions League final. Although Egypt struggled in that tournament, losing all three group-stage matches, this new campaign promises redemption for the African giants.
With this result, Egypt now leads Group A, followed by Burkina Faso, which defeated Sierra Leone 1-0. Other results from the African qualifiers include Ethiopia beating Guinea Bissau 1-0, while Cape Verde came from behind to draw 3-3 against Libya, maintaining a two-point lead over Cameroon, who triumphed 2-0 against Mauritius with goals from Nicolas Ngamaleu and Bryan Mbeumo.
Elsewhere, Angola drew 2-2 with Eswatini, while Ghana crushed the Central African Republic 5-0, moving closer to qualification and needing just one more point. Madagascar followed closely behind in Group I after a 2-1 win over Comoros, and Mali secured a 2-0 away win over Chad. Niger beat Congo 3-1, and Zambia earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Tanzania in Group E.
The World Cup 2026 draw will take place on December 5 in Washington D.C., where nine African teams, including Egypt, will discover their group-stage opponents. With Salah in top form and Egypt playing some of their best football in years, the Pharaohs look ready to make a strong impact on the world stage once again.
