A popular reception awaits the Egyptian national team… and the Ministry of Youth is moving to honor the players and the technical staff

The Egyptian national team is awaiting a huge public reception upon its arrival in Cairo, after its remarkable participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The Egyptian national team delegation is scheduled to arrive at Cairo International Airport at nine o’clock Egyptian time on Friday morning, on board a private plane prepared by the Football Association to transport the Egyptian delegation.

An official source in the Egyptian Football Association told Emirates Al-Youm that several official bodies, led by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, are considering organizing a large honoring ceremony for the players and members of the technical staff, in appreciation of the level the team performed in the tournament, which brought the “Pharaohs” back to the forefront of global competition after performances that received wide praise.

The source added that the President of the Egyptian Football Association, Hani Abu Raida, will hold a meeting next week with technical director Hossam Hassan and national team director Ibrahim Hassan, to discuss extending the technical staff’s contract for a period of four years, in addition to setting outlines of the program to prepare the national team for the upcoming continental and international competitions.

These moves come after the performance of the Egyptian team in the United States, where it exited the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Argentina in the round of 16 match, after it was close to reaching the quarter-finals.

For his part, Khaled Al-Dirandali, Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association, described the team’s participation as “historic,” praising what the players and the technical and administrative staff provided throughout the tournament.

Al-Dirdali said in media statements that the Egyptian team was the better team against Argentina, and was the closest to achieving victory and qualification, considering that the players “honored Egypt” with the performance they presented against the world champion.

He added: “The Football Association considers the preparation stage for the World Cup a success, whether in terms of planning or selecting the elements, and there will be a project for the national team that includes reducing the ages of the players and taking advantage of the young elements in the national youth and Olympic teams, while opening the door to professionalism for young players to gain the required experience.”