​A sea of fans in red, white, and black washed the grounds outside the airport at El-Alamein, where the Pharaohs climbed aboard an open-top bus for a celebratory parade through the coastal city. Dozens of ecstatic supporters flocked to welcome Egypt’s national football team after the country’s best-ever World Cup run, which culminated in a dramatic last-16 exit to Argentina. “We’re incredibly happy with the team,” Mohamed Gehad, a supporter who had traveled to the airport to greet the players, told AFP. “Their spirit was high, and ours is high as we welcome them.” Flags of Egypt and Palestine fluttered in the crowd as fans waved their banners and a poster of coach Hossam Hossam draped himself with flags in tribute to both causes during the tournament.
Egypt marked its first World Cup victory in history and then advanced to the last 16 for the first time after defeating Australia on penalties. The team came heartbreakingly close to a historic upset against Argentina, leading 2-0 with only minutes remaining before the defending champions staged a stunning 3-2 comeback. Yet the atmosphere remained buoyant, with fans dancing to drumbeats, singing patriotic songs, and wearing shirts bearing the name of team captain and former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. Handwritten signs proclaimed, “You made us proud, men.” “They reached a level they had never reached before, and we’re proud of them,” another fan, Eyad Ahmed, told AFP.
As the team’s bus departed the airport, flags rippled overhead and supporters pressed close to the vehicle until it disappeared from view. Salah later posted on social media, promising that he would do everything in his power to ensure this marks a new beginning for Egyptian football on the international stage. The players are slated to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday, who publicly thanked the team for its “honourable performance.” The Egyptian Football Association has filed a complaint with FIFA about the officiating in Tuesday’s match, with coach Hassan criticizing the refereeing as unjust—remarks that FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina described as unfounded. Hassan earned praise in Gaza for waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch after Egypt’s win over Australia and dedicating the victory to the Palestinian people; at a pre-match press conference earlier in the tournament, he described the Palestinian suffering as a world shame and urged football to do more to help. Throughout the tournament, thousands of Palestinians gathered in improvised cafes set up in tents or in makeshift shelters fashioned from corrugated metal salvaged from damaged buildings to watch the matches.