Egypt defender Abdelmaguid to fulfil “childhood dream” at World Cup
Soccer Football – Egyptian Premier League – Zamalek v Al Ahly – Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt – September 29, 2025 Zamalek’s Hossam Abdelmaguid celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
CAIRO, June 5 : Egypt defender Hossam Abdelmaguid said his “childhood dream” of playing at the World Cup has come sooner than expected, as the 25‑year‑old targets a deep run at the finals in North America.
After lifting the Egyptian league title with Zamalek, Abdelmaguid is aiming to help Hossam Hassan’s side achieve more than winning a World Cup match for the first time.
“The World Cup was a dream for me because my older brother used to talk to me about the tournament when I was a child. I remember telling him I would play in the World Cup,” Abdelmaguid told Reuters in a Zoom interview.
“But I did not expect to realise that childhood dream so quickly, just three years after joining the first team.”
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Egypt are in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran, a draw that has fuelled hopes among their fans of a breakthrough World Cup campaign.
However, Abdelmaguid said the team would not be burdened by expectations.
“This is what the fans hope from us, and it is their right. It is also our right to aim for the knockout stages,” he said.
“Every fan has the right to dream of winning the tournament, but each team has its own circumstances. I believe we can advance from the group stage and go far in the World Cup.
“We want to win every game, and if we cannot win, then not to lose. We are trying to give everything we can”.
Abdelmaguid believes the squad has the quality to compete, with players like Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, Liverpool’s departing Mohamed Salah and promising 18-year-old Al Ahly striker Hamza Abdelkarim, who is on loan at Barcelona.
“Hossam Hassan always motivates us and tells us we can do it, which gives us belief that we can achieve something for Egypt,” added Abdelmaguid.
IRAN UNCERTAINTY
Doubts had surrounded Iran’s participation in the tournament amid tensions in the Middle East, with Tehran requesting their matches be moved from the United States, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the schedule will remain unchanged.
Asked about the impact of Iran’s situation on his World Cup preparations, Abdelmaguid said: “I have not focused on this news and it has nothing to do with us. I could think about facing Iran and end up losing to Belgium.
Egypt face three teams who each boast a physically strong striker, leaving the tall Abdelmaguid with the likely task of dealing with Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, New Zealand’s Chris Wood and Iran’s Mehdi Taremi.
Abdelmaguid said he had begun preparing early by studying the forwards, adding: “All of them are elite players, but that does not mean I fear them because I play for Egypt … I focus on details and watch their clips with my performance analyst, as well as in sessions with Hossam Hassan.”
“CAPTAIN HOSSAM”
Hossam Hassan became the first Egyptian to reach the World Cup as both player and coach, having scored the goal that secured qualification in 1990 before leading the team back 36 years later for a fourth appearance.
Abdelmaguid feels the World Cup experience of Hossam Hassan, along with the manager’s brother Ibrahim, the team director, has given the players a significant boost and helped them adapt to the “atmosphere of the global tournament”.
“He is Captain Hossam before being the national team coach. The same goes for Captain Ibrahim. We don’t see him as just a coach who will come and leave one day. It’s different.
“We are happy to have someone with his history with us. Beyond the technical side, he gives us confidence through his experience, and that helps us succeed,” Abdelmaguid said.
Former striker Hassan was involved in Egypt’s only previous World Cup highlight, winning a late penalty in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, then European champions.
“Football has changed since then, but the atmosphere is the same. In the Netherlands match he faced top players like (Marco) van Basten, (Ruud) Gullit and (Ronald) Koeman on equal terms, and that is what he passes on to us,” Abdelmaguid added.
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
