Mohamed Salah tears up during Egypt’s national anthem on his 34th birthday as World Cup dream begins against Belgium

Mohamed Salah was visibly emotional during Egypt’s national anthem ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G opener against Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle on Monday — a moment captured on the broadcast camera and widely shared on social media.

The Egypt captain, who turns 34 todaystood with his teammates as the anthem played, his eyes glistening under the Seattle sun. For Salah, the moment carried a weight that went far beyond football. This is his first World Cup as captain of Egypt, the country he has represented 103 times and for whom he has scored 59 goals. It is almost certainly his last chance to deliver the result Egyptian football has waited decades for — a run beyond the group stage.

Salah started the match against Belgium despite managing a hamstring injury that had kept him out of first-team action for Liverpool in the closing weeks of the club season. His presence alone lifts a nation of over 100 million people who have followed his journey from Nagrig, a small village in rural Egypt, to becoming one of the greatest players of his generation.

On a birthday that doubles as one of the most significant nights of his career, the tears during the anthem said everything his words did not need to.