Egypt vs Russia LIVE: Salah absent in confirmed lineups for international friendly before 2026 World Cup!

Egypt and Russia face off in a high-profile international friendly with lineups and referee confirmed, as the Pharaohs finalize their preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Follow along for live updates, scores, and key highlights using our liveblog below.

By Santiago Tovar

Updated on May 28, 2026 01:48PM EDT

**© Alex Caparros and Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images**Omar Marmoush of Egypt and Aleksei Miranchuk of Russia.

Egypt are gearing up for their 2026 World Cup opener against Belgium on June 15, starting its final preparation cycle with a high-profile international friendly against Russia, with lineups and referee confirmed. With talisman Mohamed Salah expected to lead the charge in this crucial tune-up, the Pharaohs are eager to prove they won’t just be making up the numbers on the world stage.

While Russia remain banned from official international competition due to the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, the national team is focused on evaluating top talent from both its domestic league and overseas. The goal is to build a competitive foundation so that the squad is primed and ready to compete the moment global sanctions are lifted.

Follow our live-blog coverage on Bolavip, where you can catch all the key highlights, updates, and analysis from this international friendly.

01:50PM

Egypt vs Russia head to head

This two teams have compete officially in just one matchup and it was in 2018 World Cup group stage in which Russia beat 3-1 Egypt and qualified to the next round of the tournament.

01:40PM

Today's venue

El Cairo International Stadium will host the last game of Egypt prior to their World Cup participation. With a capacity for more than 90.000 people, the Egyptians will look forward to win against Russia, with their fans by their side.

01:30PM

Egypt schedule at the 2026 World Cup

Belgium will face Egypt on June 15 at Lumen Field stadium.

Egypt’s second match of the tournament will be against New Zealand at BC Place stadium on June 21.

Finally, the Pharaohs will close out the group stage against Iran at Lumen Field stadium on June 26.

01:20PM

Today's referees

The head referee appointed for today's international friendly between Egypt and Russia at the Cairo International Stadium is Lahlou Benbraham from Algeria.

01:15PM

Russia lineup

Russia starting XI: Agkatsev; Vakhaniya, Diveev, Silyanov, Krugovoy; Batrakov, Kishlyak, Miranchuk, Glushenkov; Sergeev, Oblyakov.

01:10PM

Egypt lineup

Egypt starting XI: Shobeir; Hany, Yasser, Abdelmonem, Karim; Mohannad, Marwan, Emam; Trezeguet, Zizo, Marmoush.

The Pharaohs’ starting XI 🇪🇬#egyptnt #FIFAWORLDCUP pic.twitter.com/E8fzfP7o3P
— Egypt National Team (@EgyptNT_EN) May 28, 2026

01:00PM

Egypt and Russia clash in international friendly

Welcome to our live blog of the international friendly match!

Egypt face Russia in a key World Cup 2026 preparation fixture, with the Pharaohs looking to test their squad ahead of the tournament. Mohamed Salah's team aims to build momentum at home, while Russia are still thinking about competing in official tournaments after multiple sanctions from UEFA.

Stay with us for key information and minute-by-minute updates as Egypt and Russia battle it out today.

Santiago Tovar

Santiago Tovar is a bilingual sports journalist who joined Bolavip US in 2024. With over seven years of experience, he has covered a diverse range of sports, including soccer, NFL, NBA, tennis, and Formula 1. Santiago has provided real-time coverage of major events such as the 2021 Women's Copa America, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and the Davis Cup qualifiers. Before joining Bolavip US, he worked at Kienyke.com and Redmas.com.co, where he developed strategies to highlight key sports moments across websites and social media platforms.