With only five goals scored in the entire history of the tournament, the top of the list is shared by two of the greatest idols of Egyptian football.
The exact answer to the question about Who is Egypt’s top scorer? in the history of World Cups points to a historic draw. The attacker Mohamed Salah and pioneer Abdelrahman Fawzi share the top of the artillery ranking, with two goals scored each. While Fawzi scored in the country’s first participation in the competition, in the 1930s, Salah reached the milestone exactly 84 years later, establishing himself as the great face of the current generation.
The tie between generations and the achievements of 1934 and 2018
The trajectory of the Egyptian team in the world championships is marked by occasional appearances, but with moments that entered the statistics books. In 1934, Egypt became the first African and Arab nation to play in a World Cup. It was in this edition that Abdelrahman Fawzi made history. Despite the early elimination in the knockout format, the striker scored two goals in an interval of just four minutes during the 4-2 defeat against Hungary.
It took almost ninety years for another Egyptian to equal the mark in world championships. Returning to the tournament in the 2018 edition in Russia, Egypt pinned its hopes on the talent of Mohamed Salah. Even though he arrived at the competition without being in his best physical shape — due to an injury suffered in the final of the European Champions League —, the Liverpool star scored two goals in the group stage. Salah left his mark in the matches against hosts and against Saudi Arabiaisolating himself alongside Fawzi at the top of the statistics.
The ranking of Egyptian goalscorers in FIFA World Cups
Egypt’s senior team has a lean record in World Cups. The country has participated in only three editions to date (1934, 1990 and 2018) and accounts for five official goals scored throughout its entire trajectory.
Below, the complete list of players who have already found the net for the country in the biggest football tournament on the planet:
1. Abdelrahman Fawzi (2 gols)
The legendary striker scored his two only goals in World Cups in the team’s debut match in the 1934 edition, hosted in Italy. The goals came in the first half of the game against Hungary.
1. Mohamed Salah (2 goals)
The captain and main shirt 10 of the modern team scored twice at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He converted a penalty against Russia and opened the scoring with a touch past the goalkeeper against Saudi Arabia.
3. Magdi Abdelghani (1 kg)
The midfielder was responsible for prevent Egypt from going blank in the 1990 World Cup. He converted a decisive penalty in the 38th minute of the second half, guaranteeing the victory 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
Mohamed Salah’s weight and expectations for the 2026 World Cup
In the current scenario, the possibility of the record being broken in isolation rests on the shoulders of Mohamed Salah. The star already holds the brand of greatest African goalscorer in history of the World Cup qualifiers, with 20 goals accumulated. This overwhelming performance was essential to put the country back on track for the tournament.
Interestingly, the current coach of the national team, Hossam Hassan, is the greatest single goalscorer in the overall history of the Egypt national team, with almost 70 official goals. However, Hassan has never managed to score a goal in a World Cup finals, leaving the way open for Salah to take the crown for good on the international stage.
With attendance set for the 2026 edition, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Salah will have the perfect opportunity to score his third goal in the World Cup. The feat would put an end to the historic tie and consolidate the striker, once and for all, as the country’s most lethal name in the sport’s highest competition.
