Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi honored, on Saturday, the players of the national football team, along with the technical and administrative staff, during his reception for them in the new city of El Alamein, in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Youth and Sports Gohar Nabil, and the head of the Egyptian Football Association, Engineer Hany Abo Rida.

The Egyptian Football Association expresses its thanks and appreciation to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

The Board of Directors of the Egyptian Football Association, headed by Engineer Hany Abo Rida, along with the members of the technical, administrative and medical staff, and the players of the first national team, extend their sincere thanks and great appreciation to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah... pic.twitter.com/gTeImIxo13

— EFA.eg (@EFA) July 11, 2026

The Egyptian national team had arrived in El Alamein on Friday, coming from the United States, where thousands of fans gathered at El Alamein Airport to welcome them, expressing their appreciation for their honorable performance in the World Cup competitions, and offering congratulations and thanks to the players and the technical staff.

And 'the Egyptian President granted the national team players and members of the technical and administrative staff the Cup of Merit and honorary medals in appreciation of their heroic performance and high technical level during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the determination, perseverance and discipline they showed,' according to statements by the spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy, in a statement on Saturday.

The Egyptian national team upon its arrival in El Alamein (Egyptian Football Association)

Sisi addressed the national team players and the technical and administrative staff, welcoming them and expressing his pride and appreciation for the team's honorable performance, affirming that this praise is a general impression among all who followed the national team's matches, including Egyptians, Arab countries, Egyptian and Arab communities abroad, and also around the world.

The President praised the high values that the team embodied, reflecting the authenticity of the Egyptian people, stressing that what was achieved is a commendable effort and great dedication in the name of Egypt.

He pointed out that sport is not just about winning and losing, but what is more important is the respect the national team earned from people who appreciated what the team presented more than the victory itself.

The Egyptian national team had advanced through the World Cup qualifiers with notable results: a draw with Belgium, then a win over New Zealand, and a draw with Iran in the 48-team stage to advance to the round of 32, where they beat Australia, then progressed to the round of 16, delivering a distinguished performance against Argentina (the previous World Cup champion), losing 2-3 to the Argentine team amid global controversy over the exciting match, thus bidding farewell to the World Cup.

Popular and official reception for the Egyptian national team (Egyptian Football Association)

Sisi said in the statement that 'the team represented Egypt's youth in a wonderful and honorable way, and created a state of joy among citizens during its World Cup journey, thanks to the seriousness of performance and because it appeared in the matches as a great team making sincere efforts.' He considered the team's performance 'reflects the ability of Egyptians to achieve success,' stressing that the Egyptian people love sports, especially football, and include many talents who can reach the level of the current stars of the team.

The President affirmed the need for 'dedicated scouts' to discover promising talents from juniors and youth, pointing to the state's readiness to support competent individuals and give them the opportunities they deserve, in addition to supporting the national technical staff. He stressed the importance of continuing hard work, making more effort, maintaining the fighting spirit, and building new generations of players to ensure building on the success achieved.

For his part, Egyptian sports critic Osama Saqr considered the President's reception of the team as 'an honor on behalf of the Egyptian people, and appreciation for the players' achievement, outstanding performance and great effort in the World Cup.'

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat that 'the President's meeting with the team must carry a degree of frankness, which makes us look forward to a new phase that I think will be very good for Egyptian football.'

The crowd gathered around the Egyptian national team (AFP)

Saqr considered this meeting as support for the technical staff and a renewal of confidence in Hossam Hassan and his colleagues, and said: 'I hope the meeting will be a motivation for more successes for the team, and we hope there will be another meeting of the team with the fans at Cairo Stadium or the New Administrative Capital to greet the team.'

During lunch with the national team members, Sisi listened to a number of players who expressed their gratitude for the meeting with the President, affirming that 'the national team, and the players in particular, will do their utmost to build on the achievement achieved,' according to the statement.

Egyptian sports critic Saad Sadeq describes the President's reception of the team as 'a reception befitting the heroes and the achievement accomplished by our national team under the leadership of Hossam Hassan,' adding to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'I hope the Football Association, headed by Hany Abo Rida, will take advantage of this spirit and continue its support for the team and its national staff in order to advance further towards global competition.'