EL-ALAMEIN, Egypt—Thousands of supporters gave Egypt's national football team a hero's welcome after the Pharaohs returned home from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they produced the country's best-ever performance despite a last-16 exit to defending champions Argentina.
Fans waving Egyptian flags and carrying banners reading "Egypt's men made us proud" gathered outside Alamein International Airport on the Mediterranean coast to greet the players and coaching staff as they arrived from North America. Captain Mohamed Salah acknowledged the crowd before the squad boarded an open-top bus for a celebratory parade through New Alamein.
Egypt's World Cup campaign ended with a 3-2 defeat to Argentina after the team had led 2-0 in the knockout-stage match. Despite the loss, the tournament marked several milestones for Egyptian football, including the nation's first appearance in the Round of 16 and its first-ever World Cup match victory, achieved through a penalty shootout win over Australia in the previous round. The team also advanced from its group unbeaten.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised the squad's achievement, thanking the players for what he described as an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of Egyptian football. The president was scheduled to receive the team at an official ceremony following their return.
Salah also paid tribute to his teammates after the elimination, saying they had shown "the true spirit of Egypt" and describing the campaign as the beginning of greater achievements to come.
The celebrations came despite lingering controversy over refereeing decisions in the defeat to Argentina. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan criticized officiating after the match, while the Egyptian Football Association expressed dissatisfaction with several Video Assistant Referee decisions and said it would seek to defend the team's interests. FIFA's head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, defended the integrity of match officials and cautioned against unsubstantiated allegations.
Following the team's return, the Egyptian Football Association announced it had extended the contracts of head coach Hossam Hassan and assistant coach Ibrahim Hassan through 2030, backing the coaching staff after the country's most successful World Cup campaign. Since taking charge in 2024, Hassan has overseen Egypt's return to the World Cup and guided the national team to its deepest run in the tournament.
