Socceroos Set to Face Mo Salah in World Cup 2026 Last-32 Clash The Socceroos are set to face Egypt’s Mo Salah in their World Cup 2026 last-32 match, though uncertainty remains over whether the forward will start the game. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed Salah is fit to play after recovering from a hamstring injury, but noted the team is unsure of his starting role. Salah was seen training with his teammates on Thursday, and Hassan stated the player is eager to contribute. “We look forward to him playing tomorrow, though we are not sure whether he is going to be in the starting lineup,” Hassan said. Australia’s Tony Popovic emphasized his team’s preparedness for both scenarios—whether Salah starts or comes off the bench. “We have prepared for Salah playing, we’ve seen when he’s not on the pitch the players in those positions where he may play,” Popovic said. “So we’ve prepared for both scenarios and we’ll see tomorrow.” The coach faced repeated questions about countering Egypt’s physicality, particularly the 1.98-meter defender Harry Souttar. Hassan dismissed concerns about height, comparing players like Maradona and Messi. “It’s not about being tall or short, we have physical players … We’re not playing rugby here, we’re playing football,” he said. Egypt entered the match as Group G runners-up, finishing behind Belgium. Salah was substituted in Egypt’s final group game against Iran due to a hamstring strain, a recurrence of an injury he suffered for Liverpool in April. However, he has since recovered and was moving freely during training. In the group stage, Salah scored once and created two chances, bringing his international goal tally to 68—just one behind Hassan as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer. Salah and the Egyptian team were greeted by thousands of fans in Texas upon their arrival on Wednesday.#tony_popovic #hossam_hassan #harry_souttar #mo_salah #soccerroos
