Egypt's players celebrated after winning their 2026 World Cup match against Australia on July 3, 2026. The game took place at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington. (Photo by Aric Becker / AFP)
Thousands of excited fans gathered on Friday to welcome Egypt’s national football team back home. The Pharaohs had the best FIFA World Cup campaign in the country's history.
Fans waved Egyptian flags, sang national songs, and carried banners that read “Egypt’s Men Made Us Proud.” They filled the Alamein International Airport on the Mediterranean coast to greet the players and coaching staff after returning from North America.
Many supporters held up pictures of captain Mohamed Salah with the words “Thank You.” This was to honor his leadership during the tournament.
The celebration continued as the team rode an open-top bus for a victory parade through New Alamein. Thousands of fans lined the streets to cheer for their heroes.
Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is set to welcome the players, coaches, and officials at an event on Saturday.
Among the crowd were fans with large posters of head coach Hossam Hassan, draped in Palestinian flags. This showed appreciation for his support of the Palestinian cause during the tournament. Hossam, Egypt’s all-time leading scorer, carried a Palestinian flag onto the pitch many times and spoke about Palestinian rights during press conferences.
The warm welcome came even after Egypt lost three-two to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the Round of 16. The Pharaohs were ahead two-nil but conceded three goals in the last 11 minutes. Still, the team returned home proud, making history with their first-ever World Cup wins across four tournaments. They beat New Zealand in the group stage and then overcame Australia on penalties in the Round of 32 to reach the last 16.
Before the team returned, the Egyptian Football Association gave new contracts to Hossam Hassan and his twin brother, Ibrahim Hassan. The federation did not share how long the contracts are, but reports suggest they will keep the brothers in charge until 2030.
Since taking over the national team in 2024, Hossam Hassan, who is 59, has led a remarkable change. He guided Egypt to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, ended the country’s eight-year absence from the World Cup, and built a strong record of 20 wins, nine draws, and six losses.
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