Waving flags, singing patriotic songs and carrying banners proclaiming “The men of Egypt made us proud,” thousands of fans welcomed Egypt’s national soccer team home Friday after the Pharaohs put together the best World Cup campaign in the country’s history.
Crowds gathered outside Alamein International Airport on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast to greet the players and coaching staff after their return from North America, where Egypt won the World Cup for the first time in four tries and reached the round of 16. Fans also held pictures of captain Mohamed Salah with the words “Thank you.”
The celebrations continued as the team boarded an open-top bus and paraded through New Alamein, waving to cheering fans in the streets. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will receive the team and its technical and administrative staff on Saturday.
Among the crowd were supporters carrying large posters of coach Hossam Hassan draped in a Palestinian flag, reflecting their gratitude for his support of the Palestinian cause during the tournament. Egypt’s all-time leading scorer carried a Palestinian flag on the field on several occasions and expressed his support for Palestinian rights during press conferences.
The return home came despite a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the last 16. Egypt led 2-0 into the closing stages before conceding three goals in the final 11 minutes, but still returned home proudly after their best run in the World Cup, having beaten New Zealand in the group stage and Australia on penalties in the round of 32.
Before the team’s return, the Egyptian Football Association renewed the contracts of Hossam Hassan and his twin brother Ibrahim Hassan. The federation did not reveal the duration of the agreement, although local media reported that it would extend until 2030.
Hassan, 59, has revitalized the national team since taking over in 2024, leading Egypt to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, ending an eight-year absence from the World Cup and amassing a record of 20 wins, nine draws and six losses.
