The qualification of the Egyptian national team to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup was not just a fleeting football result, but a major national moment produced by penalty kicks, written by the players' coolness against Australia, after a match that ended in a 1-1 draw before the Pharaohs decided it from the penalty spot.

The Egyptian press treated the advancement as a historic achievement that shook the World Cup. Their headlines went beyond the victory, speaking of a team that regained its identity, and a generation that decided to change the image of Egypt's participation in the World Cup from mere presence to real competition. Egyptian reports described the scene as a rare night of joy, after the team secured its place among the top 16 teams in the world.

Egyptian fans celebrate the victory (AP)

In Dallas, the match did not end with the last kick; the Egyptian celebrations began. Thousands of fans raised flags, sang, and celebrated as if the streets of Egypt had moved to the United States. And in Egypt, the scene was bigger than football: 120 million Egyptians lived the moment as if an old dream had finally come true, from cafes to homes, from large screens to social media.

The joy did not stop at Egypt's borders. The press noted celebrations in Arab capitals, where the Pharaohs' joy turned into a wide Arab celebration. In that night, the Egyptian team represented not just a country, but an Arab dream that the impossible can be broken by determination.

Egyptian fans celebrate their team's win over Australia in Cairo (DPA)

And with every celebration video, one song imposed its presence: 'How Do You Do It, Egypt?' The phrase swept social media, accompanying clips of the crowd crying, singing, and dancing after the qualification. Few words, but they summed up all the surprise: How does Egypt do it? How does it come back in difficult moments? And how does it make joy collective like this?

The praise was not limited to the fans, but extended to the technical staff and the players, especially after the composure in the penalty shootout and the fighting spirit throughout the match. Mohamed Salah was present as a leader and symbol, but the most beautiful picture was in the entire group: players who fought until the end, substitutes who stepped up with responsibility, and a team that seemed to believe that the dream was no longer far.

In a special interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, former Egyptian international player Ahmed Hassan confirmed that the qualification of the Egyptian national team to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup is a great achievement attributed to the technical staff and the players, pointing out that the joy was not limited to the Egyptian street, but extended to various parts of the Arab world.

He said: 'I believe that the Egyptian national team is achieving a great achievement by reaching the round of 16, and this is credited to the technical staff and the players, given the great effort they are making. There is great happiness in the Egyptian street, and joy for the entire Arab world, for the Egyptian team reaching the round of 16.'

He added: 'Since the beginning of the tournament, we have been presenting good and distinguished performances, and we always prove that Egyptian football is fine, although some stumbles may occur sometimes, but the name and status of Egypt remain very big in Africa and the Arab world.'

Yasser Ibrahim takes the ball during the match between Egypt and Australia (AP)

He continued: 'I also believe that our presence in this form on the global stage has made everyone respect African and Arab football, and I see that Egypt and Morocco represent Arab and African football in the best way at the present time, and God willing, we will continue the journey.'

Hassan pointed out that the spirit shown by the players is one of the most prominent reasons for success, saying: 'There is a great effort and high spirit with which the players play, and behind them stand 120 million Egyptians who encourage and support them. World Cup matches are difficult, and all the teams present deserve respect, but we succeeded in dealing with these matches well, and thank God.'

Regarding the upcoming match against Argentina, the dean of world players said: 'Argentina is the world champion, but football has everything. In the tournament, we saw many matches that confirmed that, and we have great ambition and great hope to achieve a new success and reach the quarter-finals. I believe that the match Cape Verde played against Argentina is the biggest evidence of that; Argentina won with difficulty. The Egyptian team is not less than that, and God willing, the players will be up to the responsibility and deliver the expected match.'

Egyptian players celebrate the victory over Australia on penalties (AP)

He affirmed that the ambitions of the Egyptian fans have risen greatly after the levels the team presented in the tournament, saying: 'We, as an Egyptian public, our expectations and ambitions have become very large after the performance presented by the team, and the great manly performance given by the players. Our motivation has increased, our dreams have grown, and I believe the same applies to the technical staff and players.'

He added: 'We believe that, God willing, we are capable of achieving a big surprise and reaching the quarter-finals, because the players made us believe that, and made us ask: why not continue? And why not achieve a new success and an achievement by qualifying to the quarter-finals?'

Hassan continued: 'As I said, the Cape Verde match against Argentina confirmed that; the team remained a match for Argentina until the 120th minute, and had an advantage in periods of the match, and attacked and created chances, missed goals, and was a strong competitor to the Argentine team, which is a team that deserves full respect. This gives us a big boost, and confirms that our players' experience and capabilities are able, God willing, to achieve victory over Argentina.'

He pointed out the importance of the elements the Egyptian team possesses, stressing: 'The presence of Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, and all the existing players made a big difference. I salute Mohamed Salah, because he is the team captain, and one of the important and influential players, and a player that everyone takes very seriously. But at the same time, I do not want to forget anyone; all players are hardworking and up to the responsibility, and even those who come on as substitutes perform their role perfectly.'

Mohamed Salah celebrates after Egypt's qualification to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup following the win over Australia (Reuters)

He concluded his statements by saying: 'God willing, God will grant our team success and advance to the quarter-finals. And if that does not happen, we must not forget that we are facing the world champion, and we are not facing an ordinary team, but a team that includes Lionel Messi and a constellation of stars, but such challenges are the most beautiful thing in football, and we ask God to grant the team success and achieve positive results.'

Now, the Egyptian team awaits a bigger test against Argentina, the world champion, led by Lionel Messi and its stars. But what has changed after the Australia night is that the question is no longer 'Can Egypt withstand?' but rather 'Why doesn't Egypt complete the story?'

On a historic night, Egypt said its word to the world. And the Egyptian street responded with the same song: 'How Do You Do It, Egypt?'