Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian national team, sent a message to his teammate Ahmed Hegazi after retiring from football.
Ahmed Hegazi, the Egyptian national team defender, officially announced his retirement from football on Saturday.
Salah said through his personal accounts on social media platforms: "The journey was long, we lived it together since our childhood. We enjoyed every stage in it. Good luck in the future".
A long journey we lived together since our childhood. We enjoyed and had fun in every stage of it. ❤ Good luck in what is coming pic.twitter.com/Avzjz8OLqK@MoSalah
The duo is linked by a strong friendship that has lasted for years despite the difference in the career of each of them.
They played together in the youth and junior national teams, and both wore the Egyptian national team jersey for the first time in the same match in 2011.
Hegazi decided to end his football career at the age of 35, after the end of his contract with the Saudi club Neom.
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper revealed that the Neom club management is moving to benefit from Ahmed Hegazi's experience outside the green rectangle, by granting him a position within the club's administrative staff in the coming days, in a step that reflects the management's confidence in his leadership abilities and accumulated experience in football (Details).
Hegazi - 35 years old - moved to Neom two seasons ago with a contract that extends until June 2026.
The Egyptian international led his team to qualify from the second division league to the Premier League last season.
The team finished the 2025-2026 Saudi League season in eighth place.
Hegazi began his career with Ismaily Club in 2009, and joined Fiorentina from there, then to Brescia before returning to Egypt and joining Al-Ahly in 2015.
Hegazi turned professional again and joined West Bromwich Albion in England in 2018, from which he moved to Al-Ittihad Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Before ending his career with Neom Club.
With the Egyptian national team, Hegazi participated in 88 international matches and scored two goals, and also participated with the Pharaohs in the 2018 World Cup.
