Egypt U20

Mohamed Salah wore the shirt of Egypt's under-20 side before anyone outside Cairo knew the name, part of the squad that travelled to the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup alongside Omar Gaber. Neither man lifted a trophy at that tournament — Egypt went out in the round of 16 — but the run produced one of the side's enduring moments, a hat-trick from Mohamed Ibrahim against Austria.

The Young Pharaohs, as the team is known, trace their competitive record back to the 1979 African Youth Championship and reached their own FIFA U-20 World Cup two years later. Their best showing at that level came in Argentina in 2001, a bronze medal under coach Shawky Dgharib with Hossam Ghaly and Mohamed Shawky among the squad, a finish they have not matched since despite further last-16 appearances in 2003, 2009 and 2011.

Continentally the picture is stronger. Egypt have won the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations four times, the most recent in 2013, when they beat Ghana on penalties after a 1–1 draw. That squad included Mahmoud Kahraba and Rami Rabia, both of whom went on to represent the senior national team. Nigeria's Flying Eagles have provided the sharpest test in that competition, meeting Egypt six times, while Morocco have emerged as the North African rival of the moment, knocking Egypt out at the semi-final stage of the 2025 tournament.

Egypt have come closer at Arab level without winning it outright, finishing runners-up to Saudi Arabia on penalties in 2022 after thirds in 2020 and 2021. A first FIFA U-20 World Cup title has stayed out of reach through more than four decades of trying, the one line missing from an otherwise crowded record.