Mo Salah’s double sends Egypt to 2026 FIFA World Cup
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Egypt sealed qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Djibouti in Casablanca on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Liverpool forward has now scored nine goals in the qualifying campaign, underlining his importance to the Pharaohs as they booked their place at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Egypt’s win extends their lead in Group A to five points over second-placed Burkina Faso, confirming their return to the global stage for the first time since 2018.
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Ibrahim Adel opened the scoring in the eighth minute, before Salah doubled the advantage just six minutes later. The Egypt captain completed his brace in the 84th minute to wrap up a comfortable victory over opponents ranked 158th in the world.
Twice named African Footballer of the Year, Salah also enjoyed a record-breaking domestic campaign last season, helping Liverpool win their 20th Premier League title and securing the Golden Boot with 29 goals. However, his form this season has been below par, managing just three goals in nine appearances across all competitions.
Egypt, seven-time Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions, will now appear at their fifth World Cup in history, having previously qualified in 1934, 1990, 2018, and now 2026.
In other African qualifiers, Ghana edged closer to joining Egypt after thrashing the Central African Republic 5-0 in Meknes. Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey opened the scoring, with Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, captain Jordan Ayew, and Kamaldeen Sulemana also on target for the Black Stars.
Ghana now sit top of Group I with 22 points and needs just one more from their final game against Comoros to confirm qualification.
Also, Cape Verde moved a step closer to a historic first-ever World Cup appearance after coming from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Libya in Tripoli. The Blue Sharks, with 20 points, remain two points ahead of Cameroon, who defeated Mauritius 2-0 thanks to a goal from Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo.
