Egyptian players welcomed in grand ceremony

Egypt is still in a festive mood after its eye-catching performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pharaohs have written a new chapter in the country's football history by advancing to the last 16 for the first time in the tournament held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Mohamed Salah is being welcomed and celebrated upon his return home.

A large number of fans gathered in the capital Cairo last Friday to welcome the national team players. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi congratulated the team and praised their success. The players were also honored at the state level in recognition of this historic World Cup campaign.

As part of the celebrations, a special event titled '100 Million Thanks' was organized on Monday. In this event held at the National Stadium in Cairo, captain Mohamed Salah and his teammates circled the field in an open-top bus. Thousands of spectators in the gallery applauded the players with applause, slogans and enthusiasm. The entire stadium turned into a festive atmosphere, and a spectacular fireworks display colored the night sky.

The event received a huge response not only from the spectators present in the stadium, but also on social media. When the event was broadcast live, more than 51 million people followed it. One of the attractions of the event was the musical performance. In the final episode, a concert by popular Egyptian actor and musician Tamer Hosni brought additional excitement to the audience.

This was Egypt's third participation in the World Cup history. However, this campaign was completely different compared to the previous two editions. The team tasted victory in the World Cup for the first time. They won their first World Cup by defeating New Zealand 3-1 in the second match of the group stage. They then drew against Belgium and Iran to secure a place in the knockout stage as the runners-up of the group.

Despite a 1-1 draw against Australia in the last 32, Egypt won the tiebreaker and advanced to the last 16. That victory ensured their best World Cup success in history.

In the last 16 match, the Pharaohs made a great surprise at the beginning against the powerful Argentina. At one stage, they were even leading 2-0. However, towards the end of the match, Argentina turned the tide of the match by scoring three goals in just 13 minutes. As a result of that dramatic comeback, Egypt had to leave the World Cup with a 3-2 defeat.

Although the team could not advance in the title race, their performance in this year's World Cup is still considered one of the best achievements in the country's football history. Therefore, the regret of leaving is now being celebrated throughout Egypt as the success of a memorable World Cup campaign.