{"id":7781,"date":"2026-07-10T17:35:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T17:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/hundreds-give-heros-welcome-to-egypt-after-best-world-cup-run\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T17:35:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T17:35:58","slug":"hundreds-give-heros-welcome-to-egypt-after-best-world-cup-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/hundreds-give-heros-welcome-to-egypt-after-best-world-cup-run\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds give hero\u2019s welcome to Egypt after best World Cup run"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><a target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/fifa-world-cup-2026\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" height=\"22.5\" width=\"222.75\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Post-Label-Image-Option-1-1780213226.png?fit=396%2C40&#038;quality=80\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"World Cup 2026 post label\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Supporters waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags in support of Gaza as the Pharaohs boarded an open-top bus for a parade.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Hundreds of euphoric supporters welcomed home Egypt\u2019s national football team after the country\u2019s best performance at a World Cup, which ended this time with a thrilling last-16 exit to Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>A sea of fans dressed in red, white and black filled the grounds outside the airport in el-Alamein on Friday, where the Pharaohs boarded an open-top bus for a parade through the coastal city.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/8\/var-call-argentina-win-raise-questions-of-legitimacy-at-world-cup\">VAR call, Argentina win raise questions of legitimacy at World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/8\/triumph-to-disaster-egypts-pride-remains-as-they-bow-out-of-world-cup\">Triumph to disaster: Egypt\u2019s pride remains as they bow out of World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/7\/8\/aje-onl-nf_egypt-fans-react-080726\">Egypt fans react to emotional World Cup exit after unforgettable campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 4 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/8\/egypt-criticises-influential-refereeing-in-argentina-world-cup-match\">Egypt criticises \u2018influential refereeing\u2019 in Argentina World Cup match<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cWe are very happy with the team,\u201d supporter Mohamed Gehad told the news agency AFP at the airport where he had travelled to welcome the players.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir spirit was high, and ours is high as we welcome them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Supporters waved Egyptian flags and Palestinian flags in support of nearby Gaza, as well as a poster of coach Hossam Hassan draping both flags over himself during the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Egypt achieved their first World Cup win at the 2026 edition before later reaching the last 16 teams at the global spectacle for the first time following their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/3\/egypt-beat-australia-on-penalties-to-win-first-world-cup-knockout-match\">victory against Australia on penalties<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They were painstakingly close to achieving one of the tournament\u2019s great upsets against Argentina, leading 2-0 with just minutes left to play before the defending champions staged an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/7\/argentina-stage-stunning-late-comeback-to-beat-egypt-in-world-cup-last-16\">astonishing 3-2 comeback win<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But fans remained in high spirits, dancing to the beat of drums, singing patriotic songs and wearing shirts bearing the name of team captain and former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.<\/p>\n<p>Others held handwritten banners reading: \u201cYou made us proud, men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey reached a stage they had never reached before, and we are proud of them,\u201d another fan Eyad Ahmed told AFP.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4757346\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4757346\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/reuters_6a511b00-1783700224.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Egypt's Mohamed Salah waves as Egypt's national team is welcomed by fans at El Alamein International Airport upon its return from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ahead of an official reception by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in El Dabaa, Egypt, July 10, 2026. REUTERS\/Mohamed Abdel Ghany TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4757346\">Egypt\u2019s Mohamed Salah waves as Egypt\u2019s national team is welcomed by fans at rl-Alamein International Airport [Mohamed Abdel Ghany\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"new-beginning\">\u2018New beginning\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>As the team\u2019s bus pulled away from the airport, flags rippled above the crowd, and supporters surged alongside the vehicle until it disappeared from view.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll do everything in my power to ensure this is a new beginning for Egyptian football on the international stage,\u201d Salah wrote on social media during the celebrations.<\/p>\n<p>The players are expected to meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday, who on social media thanked the team for its \u201chonourable performance\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptian Football Association has also lodged a complaint against the officiating team from Tuesday\u2019s match, with coach Hassan <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/8\/egypt-criticises-influential-refereeing-in-argentina-world-cup-match\">accusing officials of injustice<\/a>, despite FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/9\/argentina-egypt-world-cup-referee-var-bias-collina-salah-zico-hassan\">rejecting<\/a> what he called \u201cunfounded allegations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Hassan drew praise in Gaza after waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch following Egypt\u2019s victory over Australia and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/4\/egypt-coach-dedicates-world-cup-win-to-palestine-as-arab-world-celebrates\">dedicating the win<\/a> to the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n<p>At his pre-match news conference on Monday, Hassan <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/7\/anyone-who-doesnt-feel-for-palestinians-is-not-human-egypt-coach-hassan\">said<\/a> the suffering of the Palestinian people was a \u201cshame on the world\u201d as he called on football to do more to come to their aid.<\/p>\n<p>During the tournament, thousands of Palestinians gathered in makeshift cafes set up inside tents or built from corrugated metal salvaged from damaged buildings to watch Egypt\u2019s matches.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Palestinians in Gaza turned out in \u200clarge numbers to pay their respects to a senior member of Egypt\u2019s main aid organisation, who had set up World \u2060Cup screenings in the shattered \u2060enclave and was killed by an Israeli air strike on a taxi he was in this week.<\/p>\n<p>The strike killed Mohammed al-Wahidi, himself a Palestinian, on the eve of the Egypt and Argentina match on Tuesday, along with three other people, including two \u2060young passers-by, siblings aged 10 and eight, in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, medics said.<\/p>\n<p>During the funeral, in which hundreds of people rallied, al-Wahidi\u2019s body was wrapped in Palestinian and Egyptian flags before burial. Neighbours and friends visited his house throughout the day to pay their respects.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4755653\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4755653\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ap_6a503210a3190-1783640592.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Palestinians watch a live broadcast of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo\/Abdel Kareem Hana)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4755653\">Palestinians watch a live broadcast of the World Cup round of 16 football match between Argentina and Egypt in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip [Abdel Kareem Hana\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supporters waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags in support of Gaza as the Pharaohs boarded an open-top bus for a parade. Hundreds of euphoric supporters welcomed home Egypt\u2019s national football team after the country\u2019s best performance at a World Cup, which ended this time with a thrilling last-16 exit to Argentina. A sea of fans dressed &#8230; <a title=\"Hundreds give hero\u2019s welcome to Egypt after best World Cup run\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/10\/hundreds-give-heros-welcome-to-egypt-after-best-world-cup-run\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Hundreds give hero\u2019s welcome to Egypt after best World Cup run\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}