15 Greatest Egypt Players in Football History [Ranked]

Egypt is a land of history, landmarks and cultural importance. Alexandria, the country’s second-largest city located at the western edge of the Nile River delta, housed one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. A hive of knowledge and power, it’s no wonder that Egypt’s empirical stature spread into many facets of modern life.

For the North African nation, it’s clear that that methodological approach and thirst for knowledge has seeped down to football – as Egypt presents itself as one of the continent’s bastions of ability. Egypt is Africa’s oldest national football team, and proudly holds a record seven Africa Cup of Nations victories. The Pharoahs, as they’re aptly nicknamed, have made three appearances in the World Cup and were the first-ever African and Middle Eastern team to make such an appearance.

The country have had some legendary and talented players turn out for them over the years, including current Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who will be remaining at Anfield for the foreseeable future after signing a new contract at the club. But where does he rank among the 15 greatest Egyptian players in football history?

Ranking factors:

• Club and international career
• Personal achivements
• Importance in Egypt’s history

15

Omar Marmoush

Career span: 2016-Present

Among the prestigious names that have made Egyptian football history, Omar Marmoush intends to make his mark. A real terror for Bundesliga defences, the Wadi Degla-trained player is, at the time of writing, considered one of the best strikers on the planet. It’s a status that is short-lived at the moment, but one that his future performances could well serve to underline.

Alongside Mohamed Salah, with whom he shares a love of his homeland, Marmoush could well score a major coup by helping the Liverpool player add to his trophy cabinet a trophy he has been chasing since the start of his career: the African Cup of Nations.

14

Ahmed Elmohamady

Career span: 2004-2021

A two-time winner of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010), where he played in a third final in 2017, Ahmed Elmohamady is ranked 11th in our rankings. Having initially started his career as a centre-forward, it was as a right-back that he finally exploded onto the scene.

Transferred from Egyptian club ENPPI to Sunderland in 2010 (on loan), the Pharaohs international went on to spend more than ten years playing in the Premier League and Championship, alternating between promotions and promotions during his English years. During this European adventure, he also played for Hull City and Aston Villa, with whom he will retire in 2021 before becoming one of the club’s ambassadors.

13

Mohamed Diab Al-Attar

Career span: 1944-1958

Mohamed Diab Al-Attar, also known as Ad-Diba, is one of the greatest African players of all time. The attacking leader of Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club, he made history by finishing top scorer in the inaugural season of the Egyptian Premier League in 1948.

A club with which he spent his entire career before, in 1958, he swapped his football boots for those of a referee in a post-career that occupied some twenty years of his life. On the international front, he was a member of the Egyptian team that won the 1957 African Cup of Nations, where he also finished as Golden Shoe winner.

12

Mahmoud Al-Gohary

Career span: 1955-1961

Mahmoud Al-Gorahy is remembered as the first man in history to win the African Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach. The first of these successes came in 1959, two years after the Egyptians’ first triumph and almost 40 years before he lifted the prestigious trophy as a manager.

Unfortunately for him, his career on the field was shorter than he had expected, as knee problems prevented him from completing what many had thought was a promising adventure. And so it was after just six years with Al Ahly, with whom he won numerous titles, including five championships, that he finally decided to retire.

11

Abdulrahman Fawzi

Career span: 1928-1947

It would certainly have been difficult to compile this list without also including the first African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Abdulrahman Fawzi, a legend on the Egyptian national football scene whose career with Al-Masry and Zamalek is still remembered, made history at the 1934 World Cup.

At that tournament, he not only became the first player from the continent to find the net, but also the first to score twice. This impressive feat was achieved against Hungary, who might even have conceded a third goal had Fawzi not had his effort disallowed for a more than debatable offside position.

10

Mohamed Zidan

Career span: 1999-2015

Here is a true cult striker. Mohamed Zidan was an excellent forward for both club and country, yet it’s his domestic career that sees him feature. He ventured through eight different teams and it all began when he left Egypt for Denmark as a young player. Zidan developed a knack for finishing, as well as positional awareness and fine dribbling, and progressed from Akademisk Boldklub to FC Midtjylland before scoring exploits saw him move to the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen.

Zidan and the Bundesliga just clicked, and he embarked on an eight-year stay that reaped a DFL-Ligapokal in 2006 with Bremen, and back-to-back league titles with Borussia Dortmund in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Sandwiched between those accolades were Zidan’s two mercurial stints at Mainz with 22 goals in 41 games, before a third saw him score seven goals in 12.

Perhaps a prelude to the German’s famous relationship with another Egyptian forward, it’s no wonder Jurgen Klopp held the second striker in such high regard. Under Klopp’s stewardship, Zidan scored a total of 36 goals and registered 14 assists in 118 games split across both Mainz and Dortmund.

Internationally, the striker who had a penchant for coloured hair – when he wasn’t clean-shaven – scored 13 goals in 44 games and could’ve flourished further had it not been for his fallings out within the national team set-up. The striker still won two Afcon titles with his country though, and played a keen part too – scoring his side’s second goal in the semi-finals of the 2010 edition as Egypt demolished Algeria 4-0.

9

Hassan El-Shazly

Career span: 1959-1978

Hassan El-Shazly deserves recognition in this list as a prelude to so many excellent Egyptians that followed him. A dedicated servant of Tersana, where he won just one Egyptian Premier League and two league cups, El-Shazly was described as a simply devastating shooter, being lethal with both feet. The Giza native went down as the Africa Cup of Nations’ all-time top Egyptian scorer, and domestically, he was the Egyptian Premier League top goalscorer four times – which contributed to him becoming the all-time top scorer in the division with 173 goals.

Internationally, El-Shazly never won a Cup of Nations, yet by finishing third three times, he still left his mark on the tournament. He was the top scorer with six goals at the 1963 Afcon and scored five goals in the 1970 edition, before he scored his 12th goal in the competition four years later, becoming Egypt’s all-time top scorer at the tournament.

A winner’s medal did come at the 1965 Arab Games when he was the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals. In total, he played 62 international games and scored 49 goals for his country.

8

Mahmoud El Khatib

Career span: 1972-1988

Nicknamed Bibo, El Khatib is this list’s second forefather of Egyptian football. He was an icon during the 70s and 80s and was honoured as African Footballer of the Year in 1983, before going one better to be named as the Arab Sportsman of the 20th century. He was recognised by IFFHS as the joint 11th-best African player of the last century and by CAF in 2007 as the second greatest.

A hugely dominant figure with Al Ahly, El Khatib won almost a dozen domestic titles with the Cairo giants and also crucially helped build the club’s continental reputation, playing a role in their CAF Champions League triumphs in 1982 and 1987.

El Khatib won the continental crown with Egypt in 1986 and also played at the Olympic Games two years earlier. After retirement, El Khatib embarked on a sports management career before he was elected onto Al Ahly’s board. In 2004, he became the vice-president of Al Ahly, before being elected as president in 2017. A fine finisher with an unrelenting engine, El Khatib was also the Egyptian League’s top scorer twice.

7

Mohamed Barakat

Career Span: 1995-2013

A right-footed playmaker, Mohamed Barakat typically played as a right-winger or attacking midfielder for Al Ahly and Egypt. In his pomp, the elegant Barakat was deemed by many to be one of the most talented players in Africa. His hallmarks were surging runs from midfield which often disrupted opposition defences, as well as a box-to-box work ethic, which made him an important figure both in defence and attack.

For Al Ahly, Barakat scored 41 goals in 149 league games, and became a feared member of Egypt’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’, a front three comprising Barakat, Mohamed Aboutrika and Emad Moteab.

Barakat was at the peak of his powers in the mid-2000s. He helped his club win the CAF Champions League in 2005 and 2006 respectively, as well as Egypt’s fifth Afcon that same year on home soil. In total, Barakat achieved a whopping 25 honours with Al Ahly including seven Egyptian Premier League titles.

Individually, 2005 was a crowning year for Barakat, as he won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award ahead of Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Obafemi Martins of Nigeria.

6

Wael Gomaa

Career Span: 1993-2008

So far, forward-thinking players have dominated this list. However, it must be said that Egypt can produce excellent defenders too. Regarded as one of the best African defenders of all time, Wael Gomaa was known for his passing accuracy and the ability to score from both corners and free-kicks. Although not the tallest centre-back at 6ft, Gomaa was an athletic presence and possessed great jumping ability to score important headers – evidenced by his goal in the CAF Champions League 2008 final against Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon.

Gomaa started his career with Ghazl El Mahalla, before his raw talent caught the eye of Al Ahly, who Mahalla played in the 2001 Egyptian Cup final. Following the move, Gomaa went on to make 364 appearances and steadily established himself as Al Ahly’s best defender. With the Cairo club, Gomaa won 26 honours.

For the national side, Gomaa made his debut in 2001 before developing into a pivotal part of a three-time Afcon-winning side. In the 2008 and 2010 tournaments, the defender played in every game – and rose to the occasion consistently to defend against top European league players such as Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.

5

Ahmed Hassan

Career Span: 1995-2013

One of Egypt’s best midfielders, Ahmed Hassan initially started out as a right-back before his skills saw him move up the pitch, and eventually to a different club after cutting his teeth with Aswan in the Egyptian lower divisions. He moved from Aswan to Ismaily, picking up an Egyptian Cup in the meantime before departing for Turkey. Gradual improvement came with spells at Kocaelispor and Denizlispor, before time at Genclerbirligi saw him score 23 goals in 41 games to earn a move to giants Besiktas. He won a Turkish Cup with the Black Eagles, before Anderlecht came knocking, which saw Hassan win two Belgian Super Cups, one Belgian Cup, and one league title, all in the space of two years.

His assault on Europe was unorthodox for an Egyptian at the time, compared to the glorious route of a ‘sign for Al Ahly and win everything’ mantra. That’s not to say that that didn’t eventually happen with Hassan, it just came at the tail end of his adventurous career. He aged like a fine wine and returned to Egypt to end his career. In a three-year stay at Al Ahly, he won seven trophies, including a CAF Champions League, as well as three league titles before ending his career with bitter rivals Zamalek.

For the national team, Hassan won four Afcon titles, and was particularly important in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 tournaments. In ’06, he captained the side and scored four goals in six matches, the second-highest individual goal tally in that year’s tournament. He was named the best player of the tournament after winning his second title and Egypt’s fifth, a feat he repeated in 2010 at the age of 34. In 2008, Hassan captained Egypt to their sixth Africa Cup of Nations victory. He is the fourth most capped international male footballer in history, and Egypt’s most capped ever – having made 184 appearances.

4

Essam El-Hadary

Career Span: 1993-2020

Like Hassan before him, Essam El-Hadary is a four-time Cup of Nations winner with Egypt. Nicknamed ‘High Dam’, El-Hadary spent the largest portion of his club career with Al Ahly, with whom he won eight Egyptian Premier League titles and four CAF Champions Leagues. This is how The Guardian’s Ahmed Yousef described El-Hadary…

Few of Egypt’s Golden Generation played their part more than El-Hadary. He made the team of the tournament three times and did not concede a single goal in three Afcon finals. He was chosen as the best goalkeeper in the 2006, 2008 and 2010. Didier Drogba, thwarted at his hands on multiple occasions, once said El-Hadary was his most troublesome opponent.

Such was El-Hadary’s longevity that in 2018, at the age of 45 years and 161 days, he became the oldest player in history to play in a World Cup match. Additionally, the stopper brilliantly saved a penalty against Saudi Arabia to become the first African goalkeeper ever to save a penalty at the tournament.

3

Hossam Hassan

Career Span: 1984-2008

Hossam Hassan, who is now the manager of Egypt, was an exquisite poaching forward back in his playing days, and powered ahead to become Egypt’s all-time top scorer with 83 goals in 176 appearances. Aside from two brief spells abroad in Switzerland and Greece, the Cairo-born Hassan played mainly for his hometown’s Al Ahly, and won 25 honours, including 11 league titles.

In two spells with Al Ahly, Hassan bagged 109 goals in 231 total league games. To emphasise his greatness further, at the end of his second spell with Al Ahly, an ageing Hassan moved to Zamalek. Far from done, he added to his trophy cabinet with three more Egyptian Premier League titles, as well as the CAF Champions League of 2002 among six other pieces of tournament silverware.

Aged 40, Hassan was captain of the national team as Egypt won the 2006 African Cup of Nations.

2

Mohamed Aboutrika

Career Span: 1997-2013

While often a divisive figure because of his political awareness and religious piety as well as his humanitarian outlook, Mohamed Aboutrika always stood up for what he believed in. With political turmoil eventually resulting in the outspoken midfielder being practically exiled from his home country, he still remains an undeniable icon of Egyptian football.

Talismanic for the Pharaohs, Aboutrika was part of Egypt’s Afcon-winning side in 2006 and scored the winning goal as they retained their title two years later. Like many of his compatriots on this list, Aboutrika won a lot of trophies, with seven Egyptian Premier Leagues and five CAF Champions Leagues contributing to his haul of 23 honours. A goal-scoring midfielder with a crisp vision for a pass, he so regularly stepped up to be a match-winner and saviour for any squad he was a part of.

1

Mohamed Salah

Career Span: 2010-present

Undeniably the best player to have come out of Egypt, Mohamed Salah has subverted old traditions of staying with a big homeland club and carved out an intriguing path to the very top.

Now known for his clinical finishing, dribbling and speed, it wasn’t always easy for Salah. He left local club Al-Mokawloon as a young man and developed rapidly with Basel before being snatched up by Chelsea in 2014. The move to Stamford Bridge didn’t work out but he developed in Italy with Fiorentina and Roma, before returning to England and establishing himself as one of the best players in the world with Liverpool.

In his first season, he set the record for most Premier League goals scored (32) in a 38-game season and helped Liverpool to reach the 2018 Champions League final. He went on to be an integral player in the club’s historic Champions League and Premier League title successes in the following two seasons.

Although he finished as runner-up in the 2017 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Salah is regarded as a symbol of immense national pride in Egypt. Lacking much of the all-round winning nature of prior years, Salah has been seen as a one-man show at times.

All stats from Transfermarkt (correct as of 11/04/2025)