Mohamed Salah was injured during Egypt's World Cup match against Iran, and his status for the knockout stages is unclear.

On June 26, at Seattle's Lumen Field. Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran, securing second place in Group G and advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history, having made it through the group stage.

The stands were in an uproar, but in the locker room, no one was in the mood to celebrate. Salah sat on the bench, an ice pack wrapped around his left thigh, remaining motionless until the final whistle. The team doctor's first aid kit was opened before the champagne.

In the 57th minute of the match, Salah signaled to the coaching staff to be substituted. Head coach Hossam Hassan revealed after the game that Salah felt he was injured and requested to leave the pitch. The following day, after speaking with the player, Hassan told the media that Salah assured him the injury was not serious.

The ice pack on the bench didn't do that statement any favors. The Associated Press report directly mentioned a "left knee injury," while TNT Sports and The Guardian described it as a "hamstring" issue. The Egyptian Football Federation, through the Malay Mail, hinted: "He complained of hamstring pain and will undergo X-rays and medical examinations."

Whether it's the knee or the hamstring depends on the scan results.

At the press conference, Hassan repeatedly emphasized that the injury was "not serious." Having coached Salah before, he knows exactly how much that leg is worth now. This statement serves as a dose of emergency relief for 100 million Egyptians, and also as a smoke screen for their opponent on July 3, Australia.

More realistic than the injury is the contract. On July 1, five days after this match, Salah will officially bid farewell to Liverpool as a free agent. The club has already announced his departure at the end of the season, with his next destination and contract still undetermined. This will likely be the last major contract of his career. If the scan results are unfavorable, if on July 3 he can only sit in the stands in Dallas, the numbers on the negotiation table will plummet.

On July 3, at Dallas' AT&T Stadium, Egypt takes on Australia. Many domestic media outlets call this a "Round of 16" or "Round of 16 match," without even understanding the tournament format. With the 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams, the first knockout round after the group stage is the Round of 32, also known as the Round of 1/16. Only by winning this match can they talk about reaching the Round of 16.

In Dallas on July 3, Egypt's first-ever knockout match earned from advancing in the group stage will begin. Whether Salah can step onto that turf depends entirely on one medical image in the coming days.