Liverpool face Salah dilemma after Egypt 2024 Summer Olympics flag-bearer offer

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah will carry the Egypt flag at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics if he is called up. 

The Pharaohs are determined to have the 32-year-old on board as one of their three overage players for the Olympic Games football tournament which gets underway on July 24. 

Salah’s participation would cause Liverpool significant pre-season disruption with Arne Slot’s squad due to fly to the United States to undertake matches against Real Betis on July 27 and then Arsenal and Manchester United. 

The Reds’ opening Premier League fixture takes place away at Ipswich Town on August 17. 

Salah suffered a season-disrupting hamstring injury while on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, a blow which severely harmed his form in the latter half of the campaign. 

The 211-time Liverpool goalscorer was then included in Egypt’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers squad in June, facing Burkina Faso at home and Guinea Bissau away in a gruelling schedule. 

Egypt determined for Salah Olympic call-up

While Liverpool reserve the right to BLOCK Salah’s Olympic nomination as it’s not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, carrying the flag could prove an alluring prospect for the Champions League and Premier League winner. 

A two-time African football of the year, Salah was this week named by the president of the Egyptian Olympic Committee as the nation’s preferred candidate to represent them in the opening ceremony. 

Egypt’s Olympic football coach, Rogerio Micale, has been steadfast in his desire to call Salah up with a final decision on his three overage players expected by July 3. 

 “The Egyptian flag bearer for the opening has not been decided upon,” Yassir Idriss told On Time Sports according to the Egypt Daily News. 

"We are delaying the matter while waiting for the big three in football to be known. If Mohamed Salah is present, it is necessary for him to carry the Egyptian flag."

Ahead of a pre-Olympic warm-up game against Ivory Coast earlier this month, Micale repeated his calls for Salah to be brought to Paris. 

"There is no doubt Mohamed Salah will be one of our options, Mostafa Mohamed too. We are looking for players who will benefit us at Paris," Micale declared, according to Ahram.