Egypt veteran goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary has finally called it quits. El-Hadary, who broke a record this summer being the most aged goalkeeper ever at the World Cup announced his retirement from international football at age 45.
El Hadary became the oldest player in World Cup history when he played against Saudi Arabia at Russia 2018. Although Egypt lost the match, El Hadary saved a first-half penalty in the final outing for the Pharaohs on their return to the World Cup following a 28-year absence.
El Hadary, who debuted for Egypt in 1996, won four CAF Africa Cup of Nations that is, in 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He was named best goalkeeper in the same tournament, 4 times.
“I am very proud to have played with the national team in 159 internationals, participating in unprecedented achievements,” El Hadary said. My huge dream came true with participation in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Now, it is time to retire from international football,” El Hadary said in an online statement Monday.
El-Hadary left Russia as a record holder. He became the Oldest player in a FIFA World Cup, beating the previous record by more than two yearsNicknamed the “High Dam. Born in Kafr al-Battikh in Damietta, El-Hadary’s father was a craftsman who owned his own workshop making furniture. El-Hadary took up playing football without his parent’s knowledge, washing his muddy clothes in a local river after playing in order to avoid them knowing. He was spotted by his local football team before being signed by Second Division club Damietta at age 17. In his first training session, he was offered goalkeeping gloves, having previously never worn a pair, but refused to wear them and would run the 7km to training everyday. He made his first team debut for Damietta in 1993 at the age of 20, and after two seasons signed a pre-contract with Egyptian champions Al-Ahly. In 12 years at the Cairo club he won eight Egyptian Premier League titles, four Egypt Cups, four Egyptian Super Cups, four CAF Champions League titles, three CAF Super Cups, one Arab Club Champions Cup, and two Arab Super Cups.
Swiss club FC Sion announced that they had signed El-Hadary on a four-year contract in February 2008, despite objections from his club El Ahly due to the fact that he was still under contract with them. El-Hadary was fined and suspended by El-Ahly, before world governing body FIFA gave permission for Sion to complete the deal.
In 2009, FIFA suspended El-Hadary and penalized Sion, even though he had already decided to return to Egypt. In July, while his suspension was stayed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, El-Hadary moved to Egyptian Premier League side Ismaily. In 2010, his 4 month suspension was upheld by the CAS, and in January a Swiss civil court upheld the ban and fines and additionally ordered him to pay FIFA’s court costs.
In December 2010, after a brief stint with Zamalek SC, El-Hadary moved to Sudanese club Al-Merreikh. After boycotting practices due to a pay dispute, he was loaned to Al-Ittihad Alexandria, but after a stadium riot in Port Said led to the suspension of the 2011–12 Egyptian Premier League season he returned to Sudan again After his contract there expired, he returned to Egypt, playing for Wadi Degla in 2014, moving back to Ismaily in 2014, and returning again to Wadi Degla in 2015.
Throughout this period, he continued to be acclaimed one of the best footballers ever to play for Egypt or anywhere in Africa; in 2013 he was included in Bleacher Report’s “50 Greatest African Players of All Time” list, ranked number 6. In 2017, an argument with a teammate lead to El-Hadary being thrown off the Wadi Degla team briefly; in June, he signed for Al-Taawoun to become the first foreign goalkeeper to play in Saudi Arabia.
On 2 July 2018, it was confirmed that El-Hadary had joined Ismaily for the third time in his career