Egyptianng the gathering, which took place in the Mediterranean city of Alamein, Al-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, expressing his pride and appreciation for the team’s "honorable performance."
The president said his commendation reflected the general sentiment shared by all who followed the national team’s matches, including Egyptians; across the Arab world; in Egyptian and Arab communities abroad; and internationally as well.
President Al-Sisi lauded the “noble values” embodied by the team, “reflecting the authenticity of the Egyptian people."
He stressed that what had been achieved represented “commendable effort and great dedication in the name of Egypt.
“Sport is not merely about winning and losing; more importantly, the national team earned the respect of people who valued the team’s performance even more than victory itself,” Al-Sisi said.
He emphasized that the national team represented Egypt’s youth “in an admirable and honourable manner," creating a sense of joy among citizens throughout their World Cup journey “thanks to the seriousness of their performance and their appearance in matches as a great team devoted to sincere effort.”
The president commended the team’s performance, which he said, “reflected the Egyptians’ ability to achieve success," stressing that “the Egyptian people have a deep love for sports, particularly football," and that the nation is rich in talent “capable of reaching the same level of excellence as the current stars of the team."
Al-Sisi underlined the importance of having impartial “talent scouts” dedicated to identifying young and emerging players and affirmed the state’s readiness to support promising talents, grant them the opportunities they deserve, and back the national coaching staff.
The president also underscored the need to “continue hard work, exert effort, preserve team spirit, and build new generations of players to build upon the success already achieved.”
Al-Sisi awarded the players and coaches, as well as the technical and administrative staff, commemorative medals and honorary decorations, in addition to the “Cup of Pride and Glory."
Later, President Al-Sisi joined the national team players and the technical and administrative staff for lunch.
Captain of the team Mohamed Salah thanked the president for his support, saying there was no greater honour than the recognition the team received.
Defender Rami Rabia said the players had remained united throughout the tournament and expressed gratitude for the reception and recognition.
Forward Omar Marmoush said the team would give everything to make history, while defender Mohamed Hani described the presidential reception as one of the happiest moments of the players’ lives, adding that the recognition would motivate them to achieve more.
Goalkeeper Mustafa Shobeir thanked the president for the recognition and pledged that the team would continue to raise Egypt’s profile on the international stage.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli told the team they had “brought a wave of positivity” to the Egyptian people through their World Cup campaign.
Youth and Sports Minister Gohar Nabil described the recognition from Al-Sisi as the highest honour for athletes, while Egyptian Football Association (EFA) President Hani Abu Rida noted that Egypt had qualified for the FIFA World Cup four times, including twice during Al-Sisi’s tenure.
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.
Last week the EFA said it had agreed to extend the contracts of head coach Hossam Hassan and his twin brother, football director Ibrahim Hassan, following Egypt’s historic World Cup campaign.
“We agreed on all the terms of a contract extension because we cannot negotiate with our country, regardless of whether we have other offers,” Ibrahim Hassan said.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 July 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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