Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi honoured the national football team and its coaching and administrative staff following their historic performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, calling for greater efforts to identify and develop young football talent across the country.
According to a presidential statement, Al-Sisi received the team in El Alamein in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Youth and Sports Gohar Nabil, and Egyptian Football Association President Hany Abo Rida.
The president awarded the Order of Merit and commemorative medals to the players and members of the coaching and administrative staff in recognition of what the presidency described as their outstanding performance, determination, discipline, and commitment throughout the tournament.
Al-Sisi praised the team’s achievements, saying they had earned the admiration of Egyptians, Arab audiences, and football fans around the world, while reflecting the values, resilience, and character of the Egyptian people.
He stressed that success in sport is measured not only by victories but also by the respect earned through commitment, teamwork, discipline, and performance, noting that the national team had brought pride and joy to Egyptians throughout its World Cup campaign.
Egypt returned to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 after topping its African qualifying group unbeaten, marking the country’s fourth appearance at the tournament following its previous participations in 1934, 1990, and 2018. The Pharaohs reached the knockout stage for the first time in their history after progressing from the group phase before defeating Australia on penalties in the Round of 32 to secure Egypt’s first-ever World Cup knockout victory. Their campaign came to an end in the Round of 16 following a closely contested 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina.
The president called for expanding nationwide talent identification programmes, stressing the importance of deploying impartial scouting networks to discover promising young players across all governorates and provide them with the support needed to develop their potential.
He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting emerging talent, strengthening youth development programmes, and backing the national coaching staff, while urging the players to maintain their commitment, professionalism, and competitive spirit and to contribute to developing future generations capable of building on Egypt’s progress in international football.
The meeting concluded with a luncheon attended by the president, members of the national team, and football officials. Several players expressed their appreciation for the recognition and reaffirmed their determination to build on the team’s World Cup achievement in future continental and international competitions.
