The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has updated its records regarding the all-time leading scorers for the Egyptian national team. The adjustment stems from a revision in the data tracking international goals attributed to Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Pharaohs. Despite the statistical correction, Hossam Hassan remains at the summit of the list with 69 goals, maintaining a one-goal lead over the Liverpool former star.
The update occurred following a review of historical match data. Prior to Egypt’s upcoming fixture against Malawi, FIFA reduced Salah’s tally from 70 to 66 goals. However, the player scored two goals during Friday’s 5-0 victory in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers. Consequently, his official record was raised to 68 goals according to the new statistics. This development contradicts earlier indications that Salah had surpassed Hassan’s long-standing record, as previous FIFA data had placed him at 70 goals.
In June 2026, FIFA published a report on its official website highlighting Salah’s journey to 68 goals after scoring against New Zealand during the 2026 World Cup. That performance secured a 3-1 win for Egypt, marking the nation’s first-ever World Cup victory. The report detailed five key milestones in Salah’s international career. It noted his assist for Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet and his own second goal in the New Zealand match.
The analysis also emphasized Salah’s role in ending Egypt’s 28-year absence from the World Cup finals. He scored the winning penalty against the Democratic Republic of Congo in stoppage time during the 2018 qualification campaign. Other highlighted moments included his goal against Burkina Faso in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals and his four-goal haul against Djibouti in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. That performance allowed him to overtake Mohamed Aboutrika to become Egypt’s top scorer in qualifying matches, adding two more goals in the return leg.
With these adjustments, Hossam Hassan retains the title of Egypt’s all-time top scorer. Salah continues to chase the record, holding the opportunity to equal or surpass the 69-goal mark in future international appearances.
