Supporters waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags in support of Gaza as the pharaohs boarded open-top buses for the parade.
Published July 10, 2026
Hundreds of euphoric supporters welcomed the Egyptian national football team home after Egypt’s best performance at the World Cup, which this time ended with Argentina’s thrilling round-of-16 exit.
On Friday, crowds of fans dressed in red, white and black filled the grounds outside the airport in El Alamein, where the Pharaohs boarded open-top buses and paraded through the coastal town.
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“We are very happy with the team,” supporter Mohamed Gehad told AFP at the airport, where he had come to welcome the players.
“Their spirits are high, and so are we as we welcome them.”
Supporters waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags in support of nearby Gaza, and a poster was displayed showing coach Hossam Hassan draping both flags on himself during the tournament.
Egypt won its first World Cup in 2026, then defeated Australia in a penalty shootout to advance to the last 16 teams in a world tournament for the first time.
They patiently approached one of the tournament’s biggest upsets against Argentina, leading 2-0 with minutes left in the game before the defending champions pulled off a stunning 3-2 come-from-behind victory.
But fans remained in high spirits, dancing to the beat of drums, singing patriotic songs and wearing shirts with the name of team captain and former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah on them.
Some held handwritten banners that read, “Guys, you made us proud.”
“They have reached a stage they have never reached before. We are proud of them,” another fan, Eyad Ahmed, told AFP.
“A new beginning”
As the team bus departed from the airport, flags waved above the crowd and supporters crowded alongside the vehicle until it was out of sight.
“I will do my best to make this a new beginning for Egyptian football on the international stage,” Salah wrote on social media during the celebrations.
The players are scheduled to meet with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday, who thanked the team on social media for their “honorable performance”.
The Egyptian Football Association has also lodged a complaint against the officiating team for Tuesday’s match, with Hassan accusing those involved of wrongdoing, despite FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina rejecting what he called “baseless allegations”.
Hassan drew praise in the Gaza Strip after Egypt’s victory over Australia, waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch and dedicating the victory to the Palestinian people.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Monday, Hassan called the suffering of the Palestinian people a “shame on the world” and called on the world of football to do more to help the Palestinian people.
During the tournament, thousands of Palestinians gathered in makeshift cafes set up in tents or made from corrugated metal salvaged from damaged buildings to watch Egypt’s games.
On Wednesday, Palestinians in Gaza gathered in large numbers to pay homage to the head of Egypt’s main aid organization. The executive was setting up a World Cup screening in the shattered enclave when his taxi was killed in an Israeli airstrike this week.
Medical officials said the attack killed Mohammed al-Wahidi, himself a Palestinian, and three other people, including his brothers aged 10 and 8, and two young passersby, in Gaza City’s Sabra district on the eve of Tuesday’s match between Egypt and Argentina.
At the funeral, which drew hundreds of people, Wahidi’s body was wrapped in Palestinian and Egyptian flags before being buried. Neighbors and friends visited his home throughout the day to pay their respects.
