FIFA have performed a swift U-turn on press conference rules at the 2026 World Cup after awkward incidents involving Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior went viral.

The governing body has been under intense scrutiny after bringing in several new on-pitch rules for the biggest competition in world football. Mandatory hydration breaks annoyed Virgil van Dijk, while Scotland’s Andy Robertson tried his best to get around new time-wasting regulations.

It goes to show not everyone agrees with the rules put in place. But there is sound logic behind them. Hydration breaks are to combat the searing temperatures the host nations can reach, while time-wasting regulations are designed to keep the game flowing.

However, one of the more bizarre regulations was displayed away from the pitch. A clip quickly went viral on social media, and the backlash appears to have forced FIFA’s hand.

Why FIFA Banned Spanish at World Cup Press Conferences

Dylan Martinez via Reuters

Ahead of Morocco vs Brazil on Saturday night, both Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior appeared stunned when they were told Spanish questions were not allowed in press conferences.

Hakimi, who was born in Spain and speaks the language, tried to let the press officer know that he could answer a Mexican outlet’s question in Spanish, saying: “It’s OK, I understand.”

However, he was told the resources to translate weren’t available, and he instead had to answer in English, which he did very impressively. A lot of the major outrage has come from the fact that one of the host nations, Mexico, is a Spanish-speaking country.

Another clip then appeared of Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian was asked to answer a question in Spanish, but he replied: “I’m with Brazil, I’m gonna speak in Portuguese.”

Watch both incidents below.

FIFA Make Rule Change After Backlash

Benoit Tessier via Reuters

According to a report from the Sporting News, FIFA have recognised the oversight and will now add Spanish as a fourth available language in press conferences. It comes after they noticed the strong backlash received online.

Before this change, FIFA offered translation in three languages. They were English and two others requested by each national team at the podium.

Egypt is a land of history, landmarks and cultural importance. Alexandria, the country’s second-largest city, located at the western edge of the Nile River delta, housed one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. A hive of knowledge and power, it’s no wonder that Egypt’s empirical stature spread into many facets of modern life.

For the North African nation, it’s clear that their methodological approach and thirst for knowledge has seeped down to football — as Egypt presents itself as one of the continent’s bastions of ability. Egypt is Africa’s oldest national football team, and proudly holds a record seven Africa Cup of Nations victories. The Pharoahs, as they’re aptly nicknamed, have made multiple appearances in the World Cup and were the first-ever African and Middle Eastern team to make such an appearance.

The country have had some legendary and talented players turn out for them over the years, including current Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. But where does he rank among the 15 greatest Egyptian players in football history?

15

Omar Marmoush

Career span: 2016-Present

During his time in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush was considered one of the best strikers on the planet. 15 goals and 10 assists in the first half of the 2024/2025 season caught the attention of Manchester City, who paid £59 million for his services.

Despite minutes with City being harder to come by than they were in Germany, the Cairo-born forward has scored some impressive goals since his arrival. He suits up for his country alongside Mohamed Salah and gives Egyptian fans a lot to be excited about going forward, and he’ll be hoping that his talent can lead his country to a first AFCON title since 2010.

14

Ahmed Elmohamady

Career span: 2004-2021

A two-time winner of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010), where he played in a third final in 2017, Ahmed Elmohamady is ranked 11th in our rankings. Having initially started his career as a centre-forward, it was as a right-back that he finally exploded onto the scene.

Transferred from Egyptian club ENPPI to Sunderland in 2010 (on loan), the Pharaohs international went on to spend more than ten years playing in the Premier League and Championship, alternating between promotions and promotions during his English years. During this European adventure, he also played for Hull City and Aston Villa, with whom he will retire in 2021 before becoming one of the club’s ambassadors.

13

Mohamed Diab Al-Attar

Career span: 1944-1958

Mohamed Diab Al-Attar, also known as Ad-Diba, is one of the greatest African players of all time. The attacking leader of Al-Ittihad Alexandria Club, he made history by finishing top scorer in the inaugural season of the Egyptian Premier League in 1948.

A club with which he spent his entire career before, in 1958, he swapped his football boots for those of a referee in a post-career that occupied some twenty years of his life. On the international front, he was a member of the Egyptian team that won the 1957 African Cup of Nations, where he also finished as Golden Shoe winner.

12

Mahmoud Al-Gohary

Career span: 1955-1961

Mahmoud Al-Gorahy is remembered as the first man in history to win the African Cup of Nations as both a player and a coach. The first of these successes came in 1959, two years after the Egyptians’ first triumph and almost 40 years before he lifted the prestigious trophy as a manager.

Unfortunately for him, his career on the field was shorter than he had expected, as knee problems prevented him from completing what many had thought was a promising adventure. And so it was after just six years with Al Ahly, with whom he won numerous titles, including five championships, that he finally decided to retire.

11

Abdulrahman Fawzi

Career span: 1928-1947

It would certainly have been difficult to compile this list without also including the first African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Abdulrahman Fawzi, a legend on the Egyptian national football scene whose career with Al-Masry and Zamalek is still remembered, made history at the 1934 World Cup.

At that tournament, he not only became the first player from the continent to find the net, but also the first to score twice. This impressive feat was achieved against Hungary, who might even have conceded a third goal had Fawzi not had his effort disallowed for a more than debatable offside position.

10

Mohamed Zidan

Career span: 1999-2015

Here is a true cult striker. Mohamed Zidan was an excellent forward for both club and country, yet it’s his domestic career that sees him feature. He ventured through eight different teams and it all began when he left Egypt for Denmark as a young player. Zidan developed a knack for finishing, as well as positional awareness and fine dribbling, and progressed from Akademisk Boldklub to FC Midtjylland before scoring exploits saw him move to the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen.

Zidan and the Bundesliga just clicked, and he embarked on an eight-year stay that reaped a DFL-Ligapokal in 2006 with Bremen, and back-to-back league titles with Borussia Dortmund in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Sandwiched between those accolades were Zidan’s two mercurial stints at Mainz with 22 goals in 41 games, before a third saw him score seven goals in 12.

Perhaps a prelude to the German’s famous relationship with another Egyptian forward, it’s no wonder Jurgen Klopp held the second striker in such high regard. Under Klopp’s stewardship, Zidan scored a total of 36 goals and registered 14 assists in 118 games split across both Mainz and Dortmund.

Internationally, the striker who had a penchant for coloured hair – when he wasn’t clean-shaven – scored 13 goals in 44 games and could’ve flourished further had it not been for his fallings out within the national team set-up. The striker still won two Afcon titles with his country though, and played a keen part too – scoring his side’s second goal in the semi-finals of the 2010 edition as Egypt demolished Algeria 4-0.

9

Hassan El-Shazly

Career span: 1959-1978

Hassan El-Shazly deserves recognition in this list as a prelude to so many excellent Egyptians that followed him. A dedicated servant of Tersana, where he won just one Egyptian Premier League and two league cups, El-Shazly was described as a simply devastating shooter, being lethal with both feet. The Giza native went down as the Africa Cup of Nations’ all-time top Egyptian scorer, and domestically, he was the Egyptian Premier League top goalscorer four times – which contributed to him becoming the all-time top scorer in the division with 173 goals.

Internationally, El-Shazly never won a Cup of Nations, yet by finishing third three times, he still left his mark on the tournament. He was the top scorer with six goals at the 1963 Afcon and scored five goals in the 1970 edition, before he scored his 12th goal in the competition four years later, becoming Egypt’s all-time top scorer at the tournament.

A winner’s medal did come at the 1965 Arab Games when he was the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals. In total, he played 62 international games and scored 49 goals for his country.

8

Mahmoud El Khatib

Career span: 1972-1988

Nicknamed Bibo, El Khatib is this list’s second forefather of Egyptian football. He was an icon during the 70s and 80s and was honoured as African Footballer of the Year in 1983, before going one better to be named as the Arab Sportsman of the 20th century. He was recognised by IFFHS as the joint 11th-best African player of the last century and by CAF in 2007 as the second greatest.

A hugely dominant figure with Al Ahly, El Khatib won almost a dozen domestic titles with the Cairo giants and also crucially helped build the club’s continental reputation, playing a role in their CAF Champions League triumphs in 1982 and 1987.

El Khatib won the continental crown with Egypt in 1986 and also played at the Olympic Games two years earlier. After retirement, El Khatib embarked on a sports management career before he was elected onto Al Ahly’s board. In 2004, he became the vice-president of Al Ahly, before being elected as president in 2017. A fine finisher with an unrelenting engine, El Khatib was also the Egyptian League’s top scorer twice.

7

Mohamed Barakat

Career Span: 1995-2013

A right-footed playmaker, Mohamed Barakat typically played as a right-winger or attacking midfielder for Al Ahly and Egypt. In his pomp, the elegant Barakat was deemed by many to be one of the most talented players in Africa. His hallmarks were surging runs from midfield which often disrupted opposition defences, as well as a box-to-box work ethic, which made him an important figure both in defence and attack.

For Al Ahly, Barakat scored 41 goals in 149 league games, and became a feared member of Egypt’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’, a front three comprising Barakat, Mohamed Aboutrika and Emad Moteab.

Barakat was at the peak of his powers in the mid-2000s. He helped his club win the CAF Champions League in 2005 and 2006 respectively, as well as Egypt’s fifth Afcon that same year on home soil. In total, Barakat achieved a whopping 25 honours with Al Ahly including seven Egyptian Premier League titles.

Individually, 2005 was a crowning year for Barakat, as he won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award ahead of Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Obafemi Martins of Nigeria.

6

Wael Gomaa

Career Span: 1993-2008

So far, forward-thinking players have dominated this list. However, it must be said that Egypt can produce excellent defenders too. Regarded as one of the best African defenders of all time, Wael Gomaa was known for his passing accuracy and the ability to score from both corners and free-kicks. Although not the tallest centre-back at 6ft, Gomaa was an athletic presence and possessed great jumping ability to score important headers – evidenced by his goal in the CAF Champions League 2008 final against Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon.

Gomaa started his career with Ghazl El Mahalla, before his raw talent caught the eye of Al Ahly, who Mahalla played in the 2001 Egyptian Cup final. Following the move, Gomaa went on to make 364 appearances and steadily established himself as Al Ahly’s best defender. With the Cairo club, Gomaa won 26 honours.

For the national side, Gomaa made his debut in 2001 before developing into a pivotal part of a three-time Afcon-winning side. In the 2008 and 2010 tournaments, the defender played in every game – and rose to the occasion consistently to defend against top European league players such as Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.