Hossam Hassan says: Salah is 'okay' despite hamstring problem
Mohamed Salah has assured his coach that he will be fine after being substituted in the 1-1 draw against Iran. Egypt advanced to the knockout stage of Mundial 2026 for the first time.
Mohamed Salah has assured coach Hossam Hassan that he is "okay" after being substituted in the second half of Egypt's 1-1 draw against Iran. The result paved the way for Egypt to advance from the group stage of Mundial 2026 for the first time, after finishing second in Group G behind Belgium.
Although the team was confident of advancing before kick-off against Iran, there was a scare early in the second half when Salah was substituted. The player was also noted to have ice encased in his left thigh, an indication of a hamstring problem.
Said Hossam Hassan, as reported by Al‑Ahram, "Salah asked to be replaced, but we don't know the diagnosis yet. Because he felt something, it means there is a problem. He will go through scans and we hope for the best." He added: "I spoke to Salah and he said he'll be fine and it's not a serious injury. We still have time to contact the medical staff. I think he'll be back. I congratulate all Egyptians. We dominated possession the whole game. We advanced to the next round for the first time, and we didn't top the group just because of goal difference."
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/2f/f0/mohamed-salah_14hq9k4n4mtiu1v0uuzn9v876c.jpg?t=210660063" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>The points were shared by Egypt and Iran in a tight match. As for Iran, it will be a tense wait to see if they can advance as one of the best third-placed teams. They missed the chance then when Mehdi Taremi almost scored on a missed penalty, and Shoja Khalilzadeh almost scored in extra time when the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
According to Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei, luck and technology caused disappointment: "There are rules and it's based on technology, I accept that. Because of millimeters, we missed our goal. That's justice. But I'm angry at bad luck. We got from their only real chance, while we didn't convert many chances."
Ghalenoei praised his players and supporters: "I am proud of my country, my people and this team. It was a great match and I believe everyone liked it. We created many chances and we deserved to win. Now, we will just wait to see what happens. I also want to thank all the Iranian fans inside and outside the stadium for their tremendous support."
