El-Sisi thanks Egypt's national team after historic World Cup run

Ahram Online , Tuesday 7 Jul 2026

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised Egypt's national football team on Tuesday following its historic FIFA World Cup campaign, thanking the players for their performance despite a dramatic 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in the Round of 16.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

In a post on his official social media accounts, El-Sisi thanked the team for achieving "an unprecedented milestone" in Egyptian football history.

"I thank the heroes of Egypt's national football team for their honorable performance and for achieving an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of Egyptian football," the president wrote. "We are proud of you and your achievement, and, God willing, the future will be even better."

Egypt's World Cup journey came to a heartbreaking end at Atlanta Stadium after surrendering a two-goal lead in the closing stages of the match.

The Pharaohs led 2-0 through goals from defender Yasser Ibrahim in the 15th minute and Mostafa "Zizo" Abdel-Raouf in the 67th minute.

However, Argentina mounted a dramatic late comeback, with Cristian Romero reducing the deficit in the 79th minute before Lionel Messi equalized five minutes later. Enzo Fernández scored deep into stoppage time to complete a 3-2 victory, sending the defending champions into the quarter-finals.

Despite the defeat, Egypt made history by reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time, marking the country's best-ever performance at the tournament.