As praise poured in for Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan and his players after they successfully qualified for the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the ceiling of ambitions rose in the Egyptian street, which was not content with celebrating the current achievement but raised its dreams even higher.

Egypt qualified for the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time after defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time, marking the Pharaohs' first victory in knockout rounds in their World Cup history.

Sports figures and analysts praised the Egyptian achievement, affirming that Hossam Hassan succeeded in reviving the team's fighting spirit despite the challenges and injuries faced by the players.

Social media platforms in Egypt witnessed widespread celebration from users of the technical staff and players, with the name of head coach Hossam Hassan topping the trends list, along with several players, most notably Mohamed Salah, Haitham Hassan, Mohamed Hany, and Emam Ashour.

Tweeters praised the abilities of Haitham Hassan in his first World Cup appearance, and the experience of Pharaohs' captain Mohamed Salah, who scored the penalty in the 'Panenka style'. Despite the criticism that right-back Mohamed Hany faced due to an own goal, many praised his performance throughout the match and the tournament.

Fans expressed their pride in the national team, praising the technical staff's ability to overcome difficulties and reach this advanced stage in the tournament.

Egypt national team and technical staff celebrate the victory (Egyptian Football Association)

Many fans also affirmed that the team is capable of competing with the big teams again if they maintain the same tactical performance shown during the tournament.

While a segment of fans confirmed that merely reaching the Round of 16 is a 'dream come true,' others expressed their dreams of further success and achievement in the tournament, surpassing the upcoming rounds to go as far as possible.

The Pharaohs will face Argentina next Tuesday, July 7 of this month, in the World Cup Round of 16. This is a match that fans were anticipating even before facing Australia, and it dominated some of their comments; they called for maintaining the same fighting spirit against Messi and his teammates to ensure continuation in the tournament.

Sports critic Mustafa Saber considered the praise for Hossam Hassan and the players as 'deserved' because the team did not just achieve a victory, but 'achieved a historic achievement by qualifying for the Round of 16 of the World Cup for the first time.'

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'The Egyptian team showed a strong character in the match against Australia, especially in handling penalties after years in which it was a clear weakness. I believe the team has proven it can continue, but competing in further rounds requires technical stability and maintaining the same spirit.'

Egypt's technical staff received great praise after reaching the World Cup Round of 16 (Egyptian Football Association)

Saber points out that the match against Argentina will be completely different technically and mentally, stating: 'We must stop the danger of Argentina's stars and reduce the spaces between the lines because they are good at exploiting any defensive mistake. Also, we must not exhaust the players physically after the 120-minute match against Australia, and most importantly, change the mentality so that players enter any match with the aim of winning, regardless of the opponent's name, and not just settle for a commendable performance.'

For her part, sports critic Rania Abdel Wahab believes that what Egyptians are experiencing today cannot be reduced to a match result or qualification to a new round, but rather a complete restoration of their right to dream, after three previous World Cup participations that left no memorable achievements.

She added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'This team seems like a phenomenon that is hard to explain by numbers alone. A group of players brought an entire people back to dreaming, and perhaps they themselves were in dire need of that dream. We feel that their ambitions on the field are greater than the ambitions of millions of Egyptians watching them from behind screens.'

She continues: 'Hossam Hassan was the first believer in this team. He believed in himself and in his players, and relied on national spirit and rallying around the Egyptian jersey as two weapons no less important than any tactical plan or technical superiority. He created an exceptional atmosphere inside the camp, the impact of which spread to the Egyptian street, and the team became the talk of homes, cafes, and squares. Egyptians returned to eagerly await the next match with the same passion that many thought had disappeared forever.'

Regarding the match against Argentina, the sports critic points out that this match 'does not require excessive confidence, nor killing the fans' enthusiasm with calls for excessive realism. All that is required is for these feelings and ambitions to turn into energy on the field, and perseverance until the last moment.'

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