Thousands of fans welcomed the Egyptian national football team on Friday upon its return from participating in the 2026 World Cup in North America, after achieving a historic feat by reaching the round of 16 for the first time, before exiting the tournament with a loss to defending champions Argentina. Thousands of Egyptians gathered outside El Alamein International Airport on the north coast to receive the 'Pharaohs' and the technical staff, waving national flags and banners celebrating this achievement, which came in Egypt's fourth appearance in the World Cup finals. One banner read 'The men of Egypt have honored us,' while others raised pictures of Mohamed Salah, the team captain, with 'Thank you' written on them. Egyptian television networks broadcast the moment the Egyptian team's plane arrived at the airport, accompanied by national songs and chants. The 'Pharaohs' boarded an open-top bus, and the players waved to the fans and exchanged greetings before the bus moved in a celebratory procession. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will receive the team and the technical and administrative staff on Saturday. Egypt left the tournament feeling somewhat aggrieved due to some refereeing decisions it considered to be in favor of the Argentine team led by Lionel Messi, after losing the match 2-3. The Egyptians had taken a two-goal lead until the last ten minutes, but they ended the historic participation with a sense of pride after their best campaign ever in the history of the finals. The Egyptian Football Association announced the return of the delegation by announcing the renewal of Hossam Hassan's contract and his brother Ibrahim Hassan, in order to continue the technical project and build on the historic achievements for Egyptian football in the recent period. The association did not disclose the duration of the new contract, but Egyptian reports indicated that the contract extends until 2030. Hossam Hassan had previously stated that he had been working with the national team without an official contract since February 2026. Hossam Hassan, 59, took over as coach of the Egyptian national team in February 2024, leading it to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, in addition to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup for the first time in eight years. After becoming the first Egyptian to participate in a World Cup as both a player and a coach, Hossam Hassan led his country to a victory over New Zealand in the group stage of Group Seven, with Egypt finishing second and qualifying for the knockout rounds for the first time, then overcoming Australia on penalties in the round of 32, setting up a meeting with Argentina with the aim of reaching the quarter-finals. During his tenure with the national team, Hossam Hassan achieved 20 wins, six losses, and nine draws.