Team: Egypt

Egypt return to the World Cup with a squad built around one of the game's most iconic players. Mohamed Salah captains the Pharaohs and remains, even at this stage of his career, one of the most dangerous and decisive attackers at the tournament. Egypt's football culture is enormous, and the national team carries a weight of expectation that matches any major nation in the field. They are in Group G alongside New Zealand and Belgium, where Salah's ability to produce decisive individual moments gives them a genuine chance of progressing past the group stage and into the knockout rounds of the tournament.

After missing out on Qatar 2022, Egypt sealed their return with a 3-0 win over Djibouti with a game to spare, with Mohamed Salah leading the way as the Pharaohs topped CAF Group A.