CAIRO (Anadolu)

Egyptian fans raised the Palestinian flag alongside the Egyptian flag Monday evening during a celebration at Cairo International Stadium to honor the national team after its participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The celebration, held under the slogan '100 Million Thanks,' witnessed a large crowd that filled the stadium stands, with chants praising the team's performance in the tournament, according to an Anadolu reporter.

The celebration was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Jawahir Nabil, Egyptian Football Association President Hani Abu Rida, along with a number of public and sports figures and club presidents, as well as the technical staff led by Hossam Hassan, the administrative and medical staff, and all the national team players.

The fans' raising of the Palestinian flag comes after a series of gestures by the team's head coach Hossam Hassan in support of Palestine during his World Cup journey.

On July 10, Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan raised the Palestinian flag during a large public reception for the team's delegation upon its return to the country, a scene that garnered widespread interaction on social media platforms and local media.

A week earlier, Hossam Hassan dedicated Egypt's qualification to the round of 16 of the World Cup to the Palestinian people alongside the Egyptian people, following a penalty shootout victory over Australia.

He said at the time in statements to beIN Sports: 'I dedicate the victory to another side alongside the Egyptian people. I dedicate the victory to the Palestinian people, who have never let us down in their support, and I say to them: O God, have mercy on our martyrs among you.'

Hossam Hassan also raised the Palestinian flag on the pitch after Egypt's qualification to the knockout stages for the first time in its history, a scene that sparked widespread interaction.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi honored the national team players and members of the technical and administrative staff on Saturday, awarding them the 'Cup of Merit' and honorary medals, during his reception of the team's delegation in the new city of El Alamein, in appreciation of the 'heroic performance they delivered in the World Cup.'

Egypt recorded its best-ever World Cup participation, having advanced past the group stage for the first time and reached the knockout rounds, before exiting the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Argentina in the round of 16, after a performance that received widespread praise and significant criticism over the lack of refereeing fairness that contributed to its elimination from the World Cup.