Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan:
“Good things happen because of good people, in Egypt and all over the world, and across the Arab world.
“Congratulations to Egypt. This success and this victory are for Egypt, and we are making all Arabs and Africans proud.
“I am very happy, and I thank God for rewarding us because of the good people of Egypt and our fans everywhere. Egyptian supporters are the best and the biggest. Congratulations to all of them.
“God has honoured us because of the Egyptian people, who have stood behind us from every corner of the world.
“I was only thinking about the Egyptian fans. During the entire time and during the penalty shootout, I was just praying, ‘God, please make the Egyptian people happy.’ Even before the penalty shootout, to be honest.
“When I went to the players and talked to them, I wanted to take some pressure off. Do not look at the pressure. Just let everything out, don’t think about anything. Think about your penalty kick. Don’t even think about the goalkeeper. Just think about your kick.”
Former head of Egypt’s Press Syndicate Yehia Qalash:
“It was the most significant scene. It was a telling scene in an exceptional moment.”
Qalash was referring to Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan waving the Palestinian flag on the field at Dallas Stadium after the Round of 32 match with Australia, after which he dedicated the Pharaohs’ historic victory to the Egyptian and Palestinian people.
Palestinian living in Shati refugee camp, Ahmed Al-Masri:
“We felt like we won the World Cup ourselves.
“For 90 minutes, we forgot the bombs, we forgot the hunger, we forgot the displacement, we forgot everything. Egypt is not just a neighbour; Egypt is our brother, our shield, our hope. When they win, we win. When they cry, we cry.”
Egypt’s captain Mohamed Salah:
“My feeling today is that it’s incredible. I always like seeing the boys happy and enjoying the moment. Nothing can match that. So today was one of the best days of my life.
“It’s history. I told the boys before the game that this is the biggest stage you can play on. Enjoy it and don’t let the pressure get to you. I told my teammates to stay focused because the game was in our hands.
“I’m glad that we managed to win the game. Bad luck to them. I’m happy that we made history.
“It was my decision to take a Panenka. I asked myself, ‘If this is my last World Cup, I want to be the player who scores a Panenka.
“If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence.
“I decided last minute, I had to do it.”
Australia’s coach Tony Popovic:
“It hurts when you get that close. Unfortunately, we bow out in a penalty shootout, so it’s difficult to take right now.”
On his decision to substitute goalkeeper Patrick Beach — who had been in stellar form during the tournament — for veteran captain Maty Ryan who failed to save a single spot-kick: “It was a calculated decision made in the moment.”
On choosing 18-year-old defender Lucas Herrington who hit the crossbar in Australia’s penalty shootout: “If the young kid scored, you’d probably be sitting there saying how wonderful it is that an 18-year-old took a penalty and scored. He has played the last two games as an 18-year-old... so if I trust him to play in a game where elimination was on the line, what’s the difference with a penalty?”
Dallas Police Department:
“Congratulations to Egypt on their win over Australia yesterday. We look forward to maintaining our relationship throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup and beyond.
“The Dallas Police Department values its relationships with members of our community and international visitors. We understand one conversation can make a difference, and respect is demonstrated through actions.
“Today, members of Team Egypt met with Dallas Police officers, exchanged gifts, and shared conversations centred on partnership and mutual respect.”
The police statement came a day after an altercation between Egypt team director Ibrahim Hassan and a Dallas police officer hours before Egypt’s game with Australia.
Hassan said the police officer had treated members of the Egyptian national team harshly while preventing an Egyptian child from taking a photograph with Egypt star Mahmoud Trezeguet Hassan outside the team’s residence.
Hassan’s twin brother Hossam who is Egypt’s coach said the team had accepted an apology from police.
“We are really happy to be here at this tournament and we are satisfied with the security personnel that are accompanying us. I would like to point to the high-level organisation we have with us and the level of security we have with us.”
Egypt midfielder Emam Ashour:
“We did our best to win the game. I thank all the supporters and the technical staff.
“It felt like we were playing in Egypt because our supporters filled the stadium.
“We promise to do our best to make our supporters happy. We are looking forward to their support again in the next match.”
Egypt’s winger Haissem Hassan:
“I have so many emotions right now. I’m incredibly happy.
“The Egyptian fans deserve this joy. Everyone involved with this team wanted to make them happy, and seeing everyone celebrating in the stands means everything to us.
“The coach told us to stay calm before the penalties. We kept our composure, and that helped us win.
“We want to make the most of every minute we have in this tournament. We’ll do everything we can in the next match.”
Egypt forward Hamza Abdel-Karim:
“It’s a fantastic feeling to qualify, and the entire nation is celebrating. I am learning and improving every single day, whether during training sessions or in matches.
“[Egypt captain Mohamed] Salah has been incredibly supportive since day one, constantly sharing his vast experience with everyone. I try to absorb as much as I can from him; his career is truly legendary, and sharing the pitch with him is a dream come true.
“We are fully prepared for any opponent in the Round of 16.
“I am here only to play football and I don’t pay attention to the media noise or what is being said about me; my entire focus is strictly on the pitch.”
* A version of this article appears in print in the 9 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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