Former Egypt star Tarek Yehia urges calm after Mostafa Mohamed’s 2026 World Cup omission

Former Egyptian football star Tarek Yehia has urged calm and unity following omission of striker Mostafa Mohamed from the 2026 World Cup squad.

Mostafa, who plies his trade for French outfit OGC Nice missed out on coach Hossam Hassan’s final squad for the global showpiece, to be co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

His exclusion has sparked controversies in the country as the team gears up for the biggest soccer mundial next month.

Speaking to Modern TV, Yehia advocated for support for the team amid concerns about the exclusion of the enterprising forward.

“I don’t want to talk about Mostafa Mohamed not joining the Egyptian national team. People have talked about this matter too much. This is the point of view of the technical director, and he is the one who bears the responsibility for his choices and results,” he said.

Yehia went on to praise the striker’s professionalism, noting that despite his omission, Mostafa Mohamed has not publicly criticized the coaching staff, something he views as a sign of maturity.

“He is a great player and the national team is in dire need of him. Any other coach would have included him. Hossam Hassan did not choose him, and Mostafa accepted this and did not make any statement attacking the coaching staff,” he added.

The former coach concluded by calling for unity within Egyptian football ahead of the World Cup, insisting that collective support is more important than individual disagreements over selection.

“We must respect the technical director’s decisions so that there is no confusion within the Egyptian football community, because this is our national team and we must support it very strongly in the World Cup, regardless of the names,” he said.

As Egypt continues its preparations for the tournament, debates over squad selection remain ongoing, but former players like Yehia are urging focus and stability as the Pharaohs look to make an impact on the global stage.