Egypt and Morocco faced the world’s top players… and the rest of the Arab teams must review their accounts

The national coach and technical analyst, Moataz Abdullah, considered that the participation of the eight Arab teams in the 2026 World Cup, which recently concluded with the Spanish team winning the title, following its victory over Argentina with a clean goal in the final match, will remain stuck in the minds, especially what was presented by the Moroccan and Egyptian teams, who proved the worth of Arab football in competing against the biggest players in the world.

Moataz Abdullah told Emirates Al-Youm that the Egyptian and Moroccan national teams presented an honorable technical level that entertained Arab fans and football fans around the world throughout the tournament, calling for the importance of addressing some minor technical gaps that prevented the two teams from reaching the furthest point in the World Cup. He stressed that the two countries possess promising elements who have written a new history, and whose names have been written with ink of light in the record of the largest global football event, stressing that this performance calls for optimism that what is coming will be better for Arab football in the 2030 edition.

The former goalkeeper for Al Ain, Al Wahda and the national team added: “In my opinion, the most beautiful thing about the last edition of the World Cup, in addition to the strong return of Argentine legend Lionel Messi, and his leadership of his country to the final match, is the wonderful and impressive performance presented by Morocco and Egypt.”

He continued: “Despite the Moroccan team’s farewell to the World Cup in the quarter-finals, after losing to its French counterpart with two unanswered goals, it presented an honorable image in which it ended its participation with its head held high, as the first Arab team to qualify for the knockout rounds in two successive editions (2022 and 2026). Likewise, the Egyptian team performed heroically and exited the tournament in the round of 16 after a dramatic loss to Argentina by three goals to two.

On the other hand, Moataz Abdullah called on the other six Arab teams that were not lucky enough to pass the first rounds or the goals set for them, namely: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Algeria, to review their accounts and prepare well from now for the next edition.

On another level, Moataz Abdullah, who also holds the position of Goodwill Ambassador at the Ajman Charitable Foundation, announced the launch of a community initiative under the slogan “No to fanaticism in football,” considering that the most beautiful message of the game is to bring people together and spread fun, which was actually embodied in the 2026 World Cup, and before that the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

It is noteworthy that Moataz Abdullah is considered one of the most prominent goalkeepers who left a bright mark in the history of Emirati football. He contributed with Al Ain Club to the AFC Champions League title in 2003, the first continental achievement for local clubs, and in 2005 he reached the Asian final, and was the starting goalkeeper with Al Ain, and before that he finished with Al Ain in third place as the starting goalkeeper in the 1999 AFC Champions League. He also won the Gulf Cup title “Gulf 18” with Al Abyad for the first time in the history of the national teams.

In 2001, he qualified with the UAE national team for the final qualifying rounds for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, but the “Whites” bid farewell to the tournament at the last minute, losing to Iran.