Egypt is closing in on a friendly match against Iraq on May 29 in Cairo as part of their final preparation program for the 2026 World Cup. The game comes ahead of another scheduled friendly against Brazil on June 6. It is one of the final steps in head coach Hossam Hassan’s plan as he looks to shape the team before traveling for the tournament.

The Iraq match carries special importance in Egypt’s World Cup preparations, especially as it comes shortly before the final squad picture becomes clearer. Egypt’s last training camp is set to begin on May 20, after the decisive stage of the domestic league ends, giving the technical staff a chance to gather the players and closely assess their condition.

The Iraq Friendly Comes Before the Brazil clash

Egypt’s upcoming schedule includes two clear warm-up matches before the World Cup: Iraq in Cairo on May 29 and Brazil on June 6. The coaching staff hopes these two games will help raise the team’s readiness and bring the squad to the best possible technical and physical level before the official campaign begins.

At the same time, Hossam Hassan continues to monitor several players in the Egyptian league, including Tala’ea El Gaish right-back Khaled Awad, who has recently caught attention and is now among the names being watched before the final squad is settled.

Names Under Review, Others Moving Away from the Squad

As the World Cup draws closer, Egypt’s coaching staff continues to assess the condition of a large number of players, especially with some showing a drop in form in recent weeks, while others have not been playing regularly with their clubs. Despite the recent decline in form of some names, most notably Ahmed Sayed Zizo, the technical staff still appear committed to including them, along with Emam Ashour, Mohamed Hany, and Mohamed El Shenawy, as they remain key players in Hossam Hassan’s plans ahead of the tournament.

On the other hand, current indications suggest that a number of players are moving away from the final squad, whether because of declining form or a lack of regular appearances. Among the أبرز names are Mohamed Sobhy, Ahmed Eid, Amr El Gazzar, Ahmed Ramadan Beckham, Marwan Othman, Ahmed El Shenawy, Mostafa Fathy, Mahmoud Abdelhafiz Zalakaa, Salah Mohsen, and Osama Faisal, in addition to Mohamed Hamdy and Islam Issa due to injury.

In the end, Egypt is entering the final phase before the World Cup while arranging their friendly matches, monitoring player readiness, and settling the final squad. The Iraq match remains one of the important stops on that path, before the final friendly against Brazil and then the trip to the World Cup.