Today's Talking Points
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1Egypt are back at the World Cup after missing 2022, and their entire campaign essentially rests on one man: Mohamed Salah. He's 34, this is probably his last World Cup, and he's arguably the best player never to have won it. That is a genuinely compelling narrative.
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2Salah is Egypt's top scorer, best player and main reason anyone's interested in their group games. He can single-handedly change matches. If he has a good tournament, people will be watching. If he doesn't, Egypt will probably go out quietly and he'll be described as 'unable to do it at international level', which isn't entirely fair.
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3Egypt are in Group G with Belgium, Iran and New Zealand — a difficult group where they're unlikely to progress, but any match Salah plays is worth watching on its own merits.
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4Beyond Salah, Egypt's squad lacks the depth to consistently challenge Europe's top sides. They rely heavily on him creating and scoring. When he has an off day the alternatives are limited. This is worth knowing so you're not surprised.
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5Egypt have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times — they are a football powerhouse continentally, even if World Cups haven't worked out. Seven continental titles is a fact worth deploying.
🍺 Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Salah at 34 is probably at his last World Cup. He's never won it. If you're going to follow one player's tournament for the storyline alone, make it him.
🚫 Avoid Saying
"Egypt are just Salah" — approximately accurate, but he's good enough that being built around him is a viable strategy. Don't dismiss the threat just because it comes from one source.