Egypt have managed to remain one of the best African teams in recent years. Although they did not reach the final of the African Cup of Nations, they have established as one of the most solid defensive teams, relying on a compact backline that transitions quickly into counterattacks. Despite their draw in their 2026 World Cup debut, they have not dropped positions in the FIFA Men’s Ranking ahead of the match against New Zealand.
Ahead of today’s clash, Egypt are ranked 28th spot with 1,570.67 points, as per FIFA Men’s World Ranking. Despite their draw against Belgium, they escalated one spot, not losing any positions like Iran, that lost two spots. Under head coach Hossam Hassan, they have managed to significantly improve their international standing, compared to their 75th spot from March of 2013. However, they have yet to match their highest-ever ranking, which was 9th on July of 2010.
Despite their solid performances, Egypt remain the second lowest-ranked national team in their group at the 2026 World Cup. Belgium currently hold the 10th spot with 1727.88 points. Iran hold the 22nd spot with 1611.18 points. Finally, New Zealand remain the lowest-ranked national team in the group, holding the 83rd spot with 1290.04 points.
Egypt have managed to return to a World Cup after eight years of absence. While Mohamed Salah is already a veteran, they hope to fight for a victory that makes them dream of reaching the knockout stages. With New Zealand being a less competitive team than them, the pressure is on Hossam Hassan, who trusts that the scoring aspect will be boosted by Omar Marmoush and Emam Ashour.
Mohamed Hany #3, Mohanad Lashin #17 and Hamdy Fathy #14 of Egypt react.
Egypt may struggle against New Zealand’s offensive firepower
While Egypt are a fairly strong team in Africa, they are usually not a very dominant national team. Instead, they tend to wait and attack on the counterattack, taking advantage of their strength in space. However, New Zealand could surprise them, as they have shown to be a fairly dominant team that looks to attack. Given this, Hossam Hassan’s defensive solidity could be put at risk and their counterattacks could be limited.
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Egypt 2026 World Cup preview: Squad breakdown, key player, and tactical analysis
If Darren Bazeley’s team manages to maintain their offensive power, they could press high against Egypt and limit counterattacks. In this case, Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush could be affected in terms of productivity. For this, they might need to adapt to through passes, in order to break on the counterattack and look to make the difference. In addition, Chris Wood’s aerial game could be a great threat for Egypt.
