Egypt vs. Russia: Probable Lineups and Viewing Information

Egypt and Russia faced off in an international friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on May 28, 2026. The match served as a warm-up fixture for both nations ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Kickoff was scheduled for 21:00 Cairo time, with live coverage beginning that day. Ahram Online reported the confirmed starting lineup for Egypt, which included Mostafa Shobeir in goal, a defense of Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Yasser Ibrahim, and Mohamed Hany, and an attack featuring Omar Marmoush and Ahmed Sayed Zizo.

Russia’s lineup, as listed by FotMob, featured Stanislav Agkatsev in goal and a midfield including Aleksey Batrakov and Matvey Kislyak. Especially, Aleksandr Golovin was unavailable for the match due to injury. The teams agreed to allow 11 substitutions each, and the friendly stipulated that a draw would be decided by a penalty shootout. YSscores noted that Egypt employed a 4-2-3-1 formation under manager Hossam Hassan, while Russia utilized a 4-3-3 setup led by Valeriy Karpin.

Technical staff confirmed that Mohamed Salah participated fully in training and was ready to play, although he was not listed in the final starting eleven reported by Ahram Online. Sports Mole noted the potential unpredictability of the contest, suggesting that the absence of star players could level the playing field. This friendly marked the first meeting between the sides since Russia defeated Egypt 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup Group A encounter in Saint Petersburg in 2018.

What is confirmed

Reported Sports Mole published a preview article describing Egypt vs Russia as a warm‑up fixture for the 2026 World Cup at the Misr Stadium in Cairo.[1]
Reported The Sports Mole preview proposed a possible Egypt starting lineup of El Shenawy; Hany, Fathy, Ibrahim, Fotouh; Lasheen, Ateya; Salah, Ashour, Trezeguet; Marmoush.[1]
Reported The Sports Mole preview proposed a possible Russia starting lineup of Agkatsev; Vakhaniya, Silyanov, Melyokhin, Krugovoy; Oblyakov, Kislyak, Barinov; Glushenkov, Sergeyev, Golovin.[1]
Reported A FotMob match page presents predicted lineups and head‑to‑head statistics for an Egypt vs Russia fixture.[10]
Reported A 365Scores match page lists Egypt vs Russia as a friendly international with associated scores, results, lineups, and odds information.[9]
Reported A Vavel live‑text page stated it would share the starting lineups for the Egypt vs Russia match along with stadium updates from Cairo International Stadium.[5]
Reported A YouTube video titled as a preview of the Egypt vs Russia international friendly 2026 describes where to watch the match and discusses the fixture.[8]

Timeline

2018-06-19 — Russia defeated Egypt 3-1 in their FIFA World Cup Group A meeting at Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg, with the result later noted as the last match between the sides before their 2026 friendly.
2026-05-28 — Egypt and Russia met in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium, with Ahram Online reporting kickoff was due at 21:00 Cairo time and live coverage beginning that day.
2026-05-28 — Ahram Online reported the Egypt lineup as Mostafa Shobeir, Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany, Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan, Omar Marmoush, and Ahmed Sayed Zizo.
2026-05-28 — Ahram Online reported that Egypt and Russia agreed to 11 substitutions, and that if the friendly ended in a draw it would be decided by a penalty shootout.
2026-05-28 — FotMob listed Russia’s lineup as Stanislav Agkatsev, Ilya Vakhania, Igor Diveev, Alexander Silyanov, Danil Krugovoy, Aleksey Batrakov, Matvey Kislyak, Anton Miranchuk, Maksim Glushenkov, Ivan Sergeyev, and Ivan Oblyakov, and noted Aleksandr Golovin was unavailable due to injury.
2026-05-28 — Sports Mole previewed the match as Egypt’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup and listed possible starting XIs for both teams, including Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush and Russia’s Maksim Glushenkov, Ivan Sergeyev, and Aleksandr Golovin in the previewed side.
2026-05-28 — YSscores published the match lineup page showing Egypt in a 4-2-3-1 and Russia in a 4-3-3, with Egypt managed by Hossam Hassan and Russia by Valeriy Karpin.
2026-05-28 — A social media TV guide post said the friendly would be shown on ON Time Sports and beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa and on Match TV in Russia.

Direct quotes

"Salah participated in training with his team-mates for the entire session and he is ready to play against Russia according to technical staff."
— Ihab Leheta, 2018-06-19

"It remains to be seen how strong both nations will line up, and the potential absence of Egypt's star players could level the playing field, turning this contest into a highly unpredictable matchup."
— Sports Mole, 2026-05-29

Related people

FAQ

Who started the match for Egypt and Russia?

Ahram Online reported Egypt’s starting lineup included Mostafa Shobeir, Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany, Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan, Omar Marmoush, and Ahmed Sayed Zizo. FotMob listed Russia’s starters as Stanislav Agkatsev, Ilya Vakhania, Igor Diveev, Alexander Silyanov, Danil Krugovoy, Aleksey Batrakov, Matvey Kislyak, Anton Miranchuk, Maksim Glushenkov, Ivan Sergeyev, and Ivan Oblyakov.

Was Mohamed Salah available to play?

Yes, technical staff confirmed that Mohamed Salah participated in training with his teammates for the entire session and was ready to play against Russia. Ihab Leheta stated this readiness explicitly. However, the final reported starting lineup by Ahram Online did not include Salah, indicating he may have been an unused substitute or came on during the match, which allowed 11 substitutions.

Where could viewers watch the match?

A social media TV guide post indicated that the friendly would be broadcast on ON Time Sports and beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa. In Russia, the match was shown on Match TV. Vavel also provided a live-text page with stadium updates from the Cairo International Stadium, while other platforms like 365Scores and FotMob offered statistical coverage and lineup predictions.