Essam El-Hadary was captain of Egypt’s national team in 2018.
The veteran goalkeeper led Egypt at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1990. He was 45 years old during the tournament and became its oldest player when he started against Saudi Arabia on June 25, 2018.
El-Hadary also saved a penalty in that match, although Egypt ultimately lost 2–1. Egypt’s other notable squad members included Mohamed Salah, Ahmed Elmohamady, and Mohamed Elneny. A common mix-up is confusing the captain with goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, who started Egypt’s opening matches but was not the team’s official tournament captain.
El-Hadary had already built a legendary international career before 2018, winning four Africa Cup of Nations titles with Egypt. He announced his international retirement later that year.