Maram Hammadi and 3 Barbers Trim Egypt Squad Before 2026 World Cup Debut
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Maram Hammadi and 3 Barbers Trim Egypt Squad Before 2026 World Cup Debut
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
Mohamed Salah and the rest of Egypt’s national team got haircuts from Maram Hammadi and three fellow barbers ahead of their 2026 World Cup opener against Belgium.
Jazz Barbershop, based just north of Seattle, was brought in as the team sought pre-match trims, turning a local soccer-loving shop into part of Egypt’s tournament routine.
Hammadi, 34, said meeting Salah was the highlight, recalling that the captain asked about his life rather than focusing on himself.
The assignment capped Hammadi’s path from playing on dirt fields in Iraq and arriving in Spokane as an 18-year-old refugee in 2012 to grooming a World Cup squad.