Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has been criticized for his reaction to being substituted in Egypt's draw with Belgium at the World Cup, with his manager sending him a clear message
08:50, 16 Jun 2026
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 15: Forward Mohamed Salah #10 of Egypt looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and Egypt on June 15, 2026 at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Henry Rodenburg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah has been sent a message by Egypt's manager after his side's opening World Cup game(Image: Getty Images)
Egypt boss Hossam Hassan has told Mohamed Salah he ‘won’t rely on a single player’ after the former Liverpool star was criticized for his reaction to being substituted at the World Cup.
Salah captained his country in its first outing at this summer’s tournament as Egypt narrowly missed out on a first-ever World Cup win, with Belgium rescuing a 1-1 draw in Seattle.
The Reds’ former winger, who played his final game for the club last month after reaching an agreement for the final year of his contract to be waived, grabbed an assist for Emam Ashour’s opener, only for Mohamed Hany to put through his own net under pressure from Romelu Lukaku during the second half.
Salah played just over 75 minutes, having recovered from a hamstring injury picked up during the latter stages of Liverpool’s season, but his reaction to being substituted has been criticized by some pundits.
"If you're going to go far in this competition, he has to have a better attitude about it and realize that everybody's going to have to get a break sometime," former Liverpool star Steve Nicol told ESPN.
"You can't have your so-called star taking the hump because it affects everybody," he continued. "You saw how it affected Liverpool. You saw how it affected the fans. So yeah, he needs to change his attitude a little bit."
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 15: Hamza Abdelkarim #9 of Egypt high fives Mohamed Salah #10 as he is substituted during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and Egypt at Seattle Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah was substitued in the second half of Egypt's draw with Belgium(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking after the game, Egypt boss Hassan defended his decision to replace Salah at a time when his side was looking to retake the lead.
"We do not rely on a single player but on a collective 26," Hassan told reporters. "Salah, [Omar] Marmoush, they give it their all, they were really, really giving everything with their ferocious transitions."
All four teams in Egypt’s group are level on a single point after Monday’s fixtures, with New Zealand and Iran drawing 2-2 to leave Group G finely balanced. Salah and his teammates face Iran next, knowing that a win would leave it on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages.
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"I'm not the one to talk about Egypt's stature. The players are top quality, and we have two of the best players in the world with us. They give us motivation," Hassan added on Salah and Marmoush.
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"We are definitely not here just to make up the numbers. The win was in our hands today."
He added: "This was our priority, our number one focus. We were not thinking about anything else," Hassan said.
"But the draw is a win actually, a draw against such a rival, a big rival. They have big, big players."