Dani Olmo highlights Egypt’s 2026 World Cup surprise as Spain star targets total trophy haul with Barcelona

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo has picked out Egypt as one of the teams that most impressed him at the 2026 World Cup, while insisting his ambition at club and international level remains to “win everything”.

Olmo, speaking to Spanish newspaper Diari de Terrassa after Spain’s triumph at the tournament, said Egypt were among the nations who caught his eye as La Roja went on to lift the trophy by beating Argentina in the final.

“The Cape Verde national team were the biggest surprise, but Egypt and Paraguay also surprised me,” he said. “I also really liked Norway.”

Egypt reached the last 16 before exiting the competition after a narrow 3-2 defeat by eventual runners-up Argentina, a performance which contributed to Olmo’s positive assessment of their campaign.

Spain’s World Cup formula

Spain claimed the 2026 World Cup title after an outstanding run in which they did not lose a single match and conceded only one goal throughout the tournament.

Olmo underlined that Spain’s success in North America was built on unity across the squad and staff, rather than individual star power.

“The group and the collective work are above everything,” he explained. “At the level of the big national teams, the margins are very small, so turning the national team into a single family – players, coaching staff and everyone who works around us – makes the difference.”

The Barcelona playmaker described lifting the World Cup as the fulfilment of a long-held ambition for him and his team-mates.

He stressed that the squad were not only hopeful of success, but firmly convinced they had the quality to win the tournament.

Winning mentality after triple international success

Olmo’s comments come at a time when he has established himself as a central figure in Spain’s recent period of sustained success.

The 26-year-old has now won the World Cup, the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League with Spain over the past three years, completing a clean sweep of the major international titles available to him in that period.

Despite that haul, he said his focus has quickly shifted back to the domestic stage with Barcelona, where he wants to mirror his achievements with the national team.

Barcelona ambitions

Asked about his objectives with the Catalan club, Olmo made clear that his targets do not change from one season to the next.

“The goal now is the same as every season, to win everything with Barcelona and with the national team,” he said.

Olmo also addressed the level of internal competition at Barcelona, arguing that new arrivals in the squad will serve only to raise standards within the team.

“Competition always makes the group better,” he added, welcoming the extra pressure on places that fresh signings are expected to bring.

The Spain international now heads into the new campaign aiming to add domestic and European club honours to a glittering run with his country, while maintaining the collective-first mentality he credits for La Roja’s dominance on the global stage.