Popular celebration for Egypt's national team after controversy over its reception in El Alamein

Image caption, Egypt national team players wave from an open-top bus amid crowds of fans who gathered to welcome them at El Alamein International Airport in the coastal city of El Alamein on July 10, 2026

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Egyptian state media reported that a tribute celebration for the Egyptian national football team will be held on Monday, with a large public attendance to honor them, given their outstanding performance during the World Cup. The ceremony, which will include musical performances, shows, and fireworks, will feature Egyptian singer Tamer Hosny.

This celebration comes after some social media users, who wished to welcome the players themselves, expressed their dissatisfaction and disappointment at being deprived of that due to the distance, as the team's celebration was held in the distant coastal city of El Alamein.

Some users criticized what they described as depriving different segments of society from participating in celebrating them. Talk also grew about organizing other celebrations for them to enable fans to celebrate with the players.

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Others criticized the lack of a big celebration for the players and the coaching staff, befitting the strong performance they delivered in the tournament, and also criticized them being transported from the airport via an open bus under the scorching sun without a large crowd.

Meanwhile, others questioned the images showing a weak presence of fans around the players at the airport and outside, saying the images were cropped.

Others considered that the team landing at El Alamein Airport rather than Cairo Airport was a boost for tourism, especially since all eyes were on the team after their strong performance against Argentina.

A distinction between two publics: Egypt and 'Egypt'

Many on social media considered the choice of El Alamein to receive the team as a bias towards higher-income groups, often called 'Egyptians of Egypt' (using the English name), at the expense of middle and lower-class citizens.

Meanwhile, prominent lawyer and member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, Tarek El-Awady, issued an urgent appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi via his Facebook account.

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El-Awady wrote: 'Umm Ibrahim... and Ustaz Sayed... and Muallim Atiya are Egyptian prototypes who have the right to celebrate their team. Whenever the Egyptian team achieves an achievement, calls for celebration emerge, streets fill with flags, and chants rise.'

El-Awady wondered: 'For whom do we make the celebration? Is it for those who can travel hundreds of kilometers to El Alamein, book a hotel, and bear travel and accommodation expenses? Or is it also for Umm Ibrahim who lives on a modest pension, Ustaz Sayed who spends his day between hammer and wrench, and Muallim Atiya who hasn't had a vacation in months?'

He added: 'These are Egypt's true audience... These are the ones who carry the country on their shoulders and deserve to live a moment of complete joy with their team.'

Security reasons

Some argued that Egyptian authorities do not want any gatherings, even if spontaneous or sports-related, under what they described as tightening the security grip on society since the current regime came to power.

In contrast, some social media users attributed the celebration in El Alamein rather than Cairo to the difficulty of securing the massive crowds that could have gathered to receive the team at Cairo Airport; this could cause disruptions for travelers and those returning from flights at Cairo Airport. Others said another reason is that El Alamein is a beautiful tourist destination, in their words.

Meanwhile, activists on social media saw that the Egyptian capital Cairo is extremely crowded, which would have hindered the players from arriving early to any celebration venues, and that choosing El Alamein was for organizational and marketing reasons.

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Comparisons

Some social media users compared the reception of the Cape Verde national team by its fans in the capital, Praia, with the reception of the Egyptian team in the coastal city of El Alamein.

Criticism of the president's reception

Some criticized the protocol for the president receiving the players, questioning the reasons for the long distances during the president's handshake with the players.

In other photos, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi appeared holding a cup and patting the shoulder of Hossam Hassan, the technical director of the Egyptian national team, accompanied by players and officials.

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The Egyptian team arrived on Friday from the United States after a World Cup participation that was the best in the history of Egyptian football.

The team was celebrated after exiting the World Cup in the round of 16, following a defeat to defending champions Argentina, 3-2. The match sparked widespread controversy due to what some described as refereeing injustice against the Pharaohs.

It was customary for players to return from tournaments via Cairo International Airport in the capital, with fans gathering to welcome the team. But unusually, the team's plane returned to Egypt via El Alamein Airport, which caused dissatisfaction and surprise among many, especially since it is located in a tourist area about 300 kilometers from Cairo.

Over the past years, the city of El Alamein has become the summer headquarters of the Egyptian government and hosts a number of official events and festivals annually.

However, there is a prevailing impression of the city, located on the North Coast, that its visitors are from higher-income brackets as it is a luxury tourist destination. This idea is reinforced by the high prices of tourist units in the area and advertisements portraying it as an upscale destination.

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