Mohamed El-Shenawy #1

Profile

El-Shenawy was forged in the lower tiers of Egyptian football before finding his way to the top. He joined Al Ahly's youth system as a teenager and spent his formative years there before leaving in 2009, first to Tala'ea El Gaish, then Haras El Hodoud, and later Petrojet, where he spent three seasons honing his craft. He returned to Al Ahly in 2016 and has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper for most of that time, racking up over 350 appearances in all competitions. Internationally, he was Egypt's No 1 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Pharaohs' first appearance in 28 years, and has kept 40 clean sheets in 75 caps for his country at the time of writing. After winning MOTM for Egypt against South Africa at the 2025 Afcon, he said: “This award isn’t just for me. It is for the 28 players in the squad. We play as the heart of one man for one nation,” before adding that the goalkeeper union is “all one. We play for Egypt together and represent 120million people.” At 1.91 metres, he is known for his imposing aerial presence and shot-stopping reflexes, but can be error-prone. Now 37, he faces a battle to start at this World Cup against the younger Shobeir, but his experience and stature in Egyptian football make him an invaluable member of the squad.

Key stats