Published on 6/21/2026
Imam Ashour turned his thirtieth international match into a milestone in his career after he became the fourth Egyptian to score in the FIFA World Cup finals. He hopes that his country will not be a “guest of honor” in the 2026 World Cup and that it will lead him “to fight to qualify for the second round.”
Ashour scored the lead goal over Belgium in the opening round and became the fourth Egyptian to score in the World Cup after Abdel Rahman Fawzi (against Hungary 1934), Magdy Abdel Ghani (Netherlands 1990) and Mohamed Salah (Russia and Saudi Arabia 2018), scoring his first international goal in his thirtieth international match.
But the goal did not give the “Pharaohs” team their first victory in the history of the finals, after Mohamed Hani accidentally equalized the score in his team’s goal.
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Egypt will play New Zealand at dawn on Monday in the second round of Group 7 competitions, in which Belgium will enter the second confrontation with Iran.
Ashour told the FIFA website after the Belgium match: “Scoring this goal was an exceptional moment for me. Scoring for the Egyptian national team in the World Cup is exceptional. I felt like we were going to win against Belgium, but there is a degree of frustration because of the draw.”
He added: “We have two matches ahead of us, and we must continue to believe in our abilities and fight to qualify for the second round.”
The 28-year-old added: “Wearing the Egyptian national team shirt is a great responsibility and an incomparable honor. We tried to reflect that through our personality, commitment, and dedication. We fought for Egypt and for the national team, and we will develop better in the upcoming matches.”
He continued: “We did not come to the World Cup to be a guest of honor, but our goal is to go as far as possible.”
Imam Ashour’s first coach: He deserves everything
Ashour began his football career at the academy in his hometown of Sinbellaween, and his talent appeared at a young age.
His first coach, Nashaat Fathi, said in a message to the player, which was reported on the FIFA website: “I have high hopes for you during this tournament, and I want you to prove that you deserve this position since your first start at the Sinbellaween Academy. Your skills, talent, and all the achievements you have achieved so far will be enough to answer everyone who doubted your abilities one day.”
He added in his message before the first match: “Now, you have to please the millions of Egyptian and Arab fans who are following you in the World Cup.”
In turn, Ashour said: “I consider (Captain) Nashat as my second father. He has always been by my side and constantly supported me.”
An arduous journey
At the age of 17, Ashour moved to Ghazl El Mahalla, before moving on loan to Haras El Hodood, where his talent emerged to attract the attention of Egyptian football giants Al Ahly and Zamalek. He joined the latter in the 2019 season and spent 4 seasons with him, during which he won the league title twice, the same in the Egypt Cup, and the local Super Cup title.
In January 2023, Ashour moved to Danish club Midtjylland in a career that lasted only 7 matches before returning to Egypt and joining Zamalek’s traditional rival, Al-Ahly, in a deal that sparked a lot of controversy.
He continued his brilliance, winning the league title twice again, adding to his coffers the African Champions League title, and was crowned the league’s top scorer in the 2023-2024 season.
Against New Zealand, he hopes to achieve with his teammates the first historic victory for Egypt in the World Cup and qualify for the round of 32.
