Tarek Hamed, the Damac player, announced his retirement from international football with the Egyptian national team, in a move that surprised many after the former Zamalek star’s very distinguished career with the country of the Pharaohs.
Tarek Hamed wrote on his official Twitter account, “For ten years, I have been honored to represent the national team of my beloved country, Egypt. Today, I announce my international retirement after a long career of which I am proud.”
He also added, "I thank all the technical, administrative and medical staff with whom I had the honor to work, and I wish my colleagues all the best in what comes next... Now, I will return to the ranks of the fans as an avid fan and lover of my country's national team."
Tarek Hamed's decision to retire from international football comes less than a month after the dispute that broke out between him and Egypt coach Roy Vitoria, as a result of which he was excluded from playing the match against Sierra Leone in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The matter began when the trio, Tarek Hamed, Hussein Al-Shahat, and Imam Ashour, went into training after the Djibouti match in a non-serious manner, which angered coach Vitoria and he decided to exclude them from the camp.
According to Egyptian media, the player's poor relationship with the coach, as well as Vitoria's preference for other options in midfield, was the reason for Tarek Hamed to feel that moving away from Egypt was the best option for all parties.
In addition to this, Vitoria wants to reduce the age of the Egyptian national team, which makes him always consider other options in the midfield and does not prefer the 35-year-old Hamed.
Tarek Hamed played 58 international matches for the Egyptian national team, participated in the African Cup of Nations 3 times, and was part of Hector Cuper’s squad in the 2018 World Cup, but he did not succeed in winning any title with his country.
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