Photo courtesy of the spokesman for the Egyptian presidency.
The ceremony took place on Saturday in the Mediterranean city of El Alamein. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Youth and Sports Minister Gawhar Nabil and Egyptian Football Association President Hani Abu Rida were also present.
Addressing the gathering, El-Sisi welcomed the team and praised what he called their heroic performance in the prestigious tournament. He also highlighted the team’s determination, perseverance, and discipline.
He said the honour reflected the appreciation of Egyptians at home and abroad, as well as people across the Arab world, according to a presidential statement.
He said the team had demonstrated values that reflected the character of the Egyptian people and described its achievement as the result of hard work and dedication to the country.
El-Sisi said sport was not only about winning and losing, but also about earning respect, adding that many people appreciated the team's efforts regardless of the result.
The president also highlighted that the team represented Egypt’s youth with distinction and helped ignite joy among citizens during the World Cup journey through serious play and a sense of unity.
He praised the team’s performance as evidence of Egyptians’ ability to succeed and reiterated the country’s passion for sports, particularly football, which is rich in talent.
He called for the emergence of objective scouts to identify young talents and pledged state support to develop and provide opportunities for both up-and-coming players and the national coaching staff.
Concluding his remarks, the president urged continued hard work, sustained effort, and the preservation of the team spirit to build a new generation of players poised to build on the current success.
On Friday, hundreds of fans welcomed the Egyptian team on its arrival in New Alamein following their participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt recorded its best-ever World Cup performance by progressing beyond the group stage for the first time.
The team finished second in Group G with five points to qualify for the Round of 32, where it beat Australia before losing 3-2 to Argentina in the Round of 16.
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