Published On 7/6/2026
Hours before the date that millions of Egyptians were waiting for, the scene in the streets seemed to be experiencing an exceptional situation. Flags fluttering above cars and balconies, patriotic songs blaring from loudspeakers, and cafés turned into early stands, while almost every conversation in transportation, workplaces, or markets is devoid of one question: Will the Pharaohs continue to write history in front of Argentina?
The Egyptian national team’s match against Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup is no longer just a football confrontation, but rather has turned into a national event that goes beyond the borders of the green rectangle, after the national team restored hope to its fans by reaching this round for the first time, and opened the door to a long-awaited dream of facing the game’s greats.
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The confrontation became more heated outside the stadium, after coach Hossam Hassan sparked a wide wave of reaction by raising the Palestinian flag after the victory over Australia and dedicating the victory to the Palestinians. This was met with an attack campaign from the Israeli media, coinciding with calls made by a number of Israeli influencers to encourage the Argentine national team against Egypt, so that the match acquired dimensions that went beyond sports competition.
Cafes turn into terraces
The day before the starting whistle, Egyptian cafes turned into discussion forums, while public transportation became open forums for exchanging expectations and analyses, in a scene that brought to mind the nights of major tournaments that Egyptians had always experienced.
Al Jazeera Net observed a state of pride in what the team has achieved so far, matched by a growing belief in the ability of the Pharaohs to continue the adventure against the holder of the last edition’s title, and one of the most prominent candidates to win the championship.
Ragab Mohamed, a construction contractor, says that reaching the round of 16 represents “an honorable achievement for all Egyptians,” considering that Egypt’s mere presence among the 16 best teams in the world is a reason for pride.
Mahmoud, while watching the match between Brazil and Norway in the round of 16 at a café in the October Gardens area in Giza, added that the team performed at distinguished levels throughout the tournament, directing his greetings to captain Mohamed Salah and all the players, explaining that he was not enthusiastic at first, but he found himself growing attached to the team with each match.
Ragab believes that Mohamed Salah and Imam Ashour were the most prominent stars of the team, while Haitham Hassan is considered the surprise of the tournament, after he performed at levels that exceeded the expectations of the fans.
Regarding the confrontation with Argentina, he stressed that football only recognizes what happens on the field, expecting Egypt to win 1-0, before adding: “Even if we do not qualify, what the team has achieved so far is a source of pride.”
As for the young doctor, Adham Adel, who was sitting in the same café, he believes that qualifying for the round of 16 represents a new achievement added to the record of Egyptian and Arab football, and brings to mind what the Moroccan national team achieved in the World Cup in 2022.
He confirms that his ambition does not stop at this round, but rather extends to seeing Egypt in the quarter-finals, praising what Emam Ashour presented, which he sees as one of the most prominent stars of the tournament, despite his expectation that Argentina will win 2-1, with his wish that the Pharaohs will violate all expectations and create a new surprise.
Flags, whistles and patriotic songs
On the streets, the scene seemed more noisy. Shops were covered with Egyptian flags, while vendors of flags, whistles, and encouragement tools spread out in the squares and main roads, amid a remarkable turnout from fans preparing for an exceptional football night.
Some stores were also keen to broadcast patriotic songs over loudspeakers, giving the atmosphere a festive character that brought back memories of the championships won by Egyptian football.
Masoud Al-Sayed, who used one of the sidewalks of Al-Haram Street in Giza Governorate as a place to sell flags and whistles, says that this atmosphere “we have not seen since the days of Hassan Shehata’s national team,” referring to the generation that won three consecutive titles in the African Cup of Nations between 2006 and 2010.
He adds that the demand for buying flags doubled after the national team’s victory over New Zealand, noting that buyers are of all ages, from children to the elderly.
For his part, Mahmoud Rabie, who describes himself as a “third-rate football fan” in reference to the intensity of his attachment to the game, believes that facing Argentina will be the most difficult since the beginning of the tournament, but it is not impossible, in light of the strong personality that the team has shown under the leadership of Hossam Hassan.
It is believed that the technical staff succeeded in giving the players and fans great confidence in the possibility of going far in the tournament, despite the climatic challenges facing the teams during the current edition.
As for Eid Mahmoud, he confirms that what distinguishes the team most is the consistency of its level from one match to the next, which gave the fans a feeling of reassurance before the expected confrontation.
He expects the match to extend to penalty kicks, expressing his great confidence in the abilities of goalkeeper Mustafa Schubert, who he considers one of the team’s most important weapons in the tournament.
On the other hand, student Ziad Mohamed, wearing the national team’s shirt, believes that the Pharaohs have finally succeeded in getting rid of the slogan “honorable participation”, after achieving victories that raised the ceiling of the fans’ ambitions.
He adds that the performance of the Cape Verdean team against Argentina proved that the world champion is not immune from surprises, stressing that the presence of stars like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush gives the Egyptians hope to continue the journey, and perhaps reach the semi-finals.
Alexandria…the same dream on the Mediterranean coast
In Alexandria, the second capital of Egypt, the scene was not much different from Cairo. Egyptian flags stretched out on the seaside promenade, and appeared in the hands of children who were in turn preparing for the upcoming match, in an image that reflected the expansion of the dream circle from adults to children.
The girl, Raghad, who is not more than 11 years old, is wearing the Al-Ahly club shirt bearing the number 22, which is the number worn by Imam Ashour, the scorer of Egypt’s lead goal against Australia.
She says with a childish smile that she does not know the names of all the national team players, but she loves Mohamed Salah and Imam Ashour, “the one who brought the team in the last match,” before adding enthusiastically: “We will watch the Argentina match with my father over coffee.”
A dream that exceeds 90 minutes
Between optimistic and more cautious expectations, the masses agreed on one fact: The Egyptian national team succeeded in restoring spirit to the sports street, and restored to Egyptians the belief that the impossible may become possible.
As the starting whistle approaches, the cafes look like full stadiums, and the streets seem like they are wearing the team’s colors, while millions wait for 90 minutes that might open a new page in the history of Egyptian football, or prove, at the very least, that the Pharaohs have once again returned to the place that befits them among the world’s greats.
