Published on 6/28/2026
The curtain has come down on the journey of five Arab teams in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, after they failed to reach the knockout rounds, leaving behind a state of frustration among their fans, at a time when the hopes of Arab fans shifted to the three qualifying teams, namely Morocco, Egypt and Algeria, which are preparing to engage in decisive confrontations in the round of 32.
A sad five-part farewell
The Tunisian team left the tournament after suffering three consecutive defeats, while the Iraqi and Jordanian teams exited the competitions without gaining any point, while the Qatari team was content with collecting one point in its second participation in the World Cup after hosting the last edition in 2022. As for the Saudi team, it ended its campaign with only two points after two draws against Cape Verde and Uruguay, without being able to grab the ticket to qualify for the knockout rounds.
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The hopes of the Arabs depend on the North African trio
With the end of the five teams’ journey, the attention of the Arab fans turned completely towards the three teams that succeeded in progressing to the round of 32.
The Moroccan team will face its Dutch counterpart, while the Egyptian team will meet Australia, while the Algerian team will clash with the Swiss team in three confrontations that the Arab street is awaiting with great optimism and anticipation.
The Moroccan and Egyptian teams qualified after occupying second place in the third and seventh groups, respectively, while the Algerian team clinched the entry ticket among the best eight teams that ranked third.
Jordanian fan Ahmed Al-Faqih expressed his sadness at his country’s exit, but stressed that the first participation in the World Cup represents an achievement worthy of pride.
Al-Faqih said in statements to Reuters: “We are certainly sad about the loss, but at the same time we are proud of the stardom, because just participating for the first time in the World Cup is a great achievement.”
He added: “Now we will support all the Arab teams, especially Egypt and Morocco, and we also hope that Algeria will be with them. If they all leave, the most important thing for us is to see a good tournament and encourage the team that performs best.”
Tunisian disappointment despite changing the technical staff
In Tunisia, a state of frustration descended on football fans after the early exit from the tournament, especially since the decision to change the technical director after the first match did not succeed in changing the course of the team or improving its results.
The level of frustration was increased by the Tunisian national team receiving 12 goals during its journey in the tournament, which many considered one of the main reasons for the disappointing appearance.
For his part, sports journalist at Mosaique Radio, Fahmi Al-Barhoumi, confirmed that the Tunisian fans will not limit their support to one Arab team after their team’s exit, but rather will distribute their support between Morocco, Egypt and Algeria.
Al-Barhoumi said in statements to Reuters: “The interest of the Tunisian fans after their team’s exit will not be limited to one Arab team, but will be distributed among the teams of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco, with a difference in the amount of sympathy.”
He added: “The Algerian team enjoys special closeness to Tunisians due to geographical ties, while the Egyptian team has an important following base, while the Moroccan team continues to gain the respect of the Arab and African fans after its historic achievement in the 2022 World Cup. Therefore, the Arab team that succeeds in continuing its journey will be the subject of widespread follow-up and encouragement from the Tunisian fans.”
Sanad: Egypt is able to pass the round of 32
Egyptian sports critic Fathi Sanad believes that the Egyptian national team possesses the technical and moral capabilities that qualify it to continue in the tournament and go beyond the round of 32.
Fathi Sanad said in statements to Reuters: “The confrontation with Australia will be difficult and requires intense focus and addressing any negative points the team encountered in the group stage. Our team has important cards with technical competence and skilled players, and I believe that qualifying for the round of 16 is very possible.”
He added: “It requires Egypt’s players to maintain a high technical and psychological state and strong determination to achieve victory.”
Fathi Sanad also spoke about the chances of the Moroccan and Algerian teams, stressing that both are capable of reaching the next round despite the difficulty of the competition.
He said: “Morocco will face the Netherlands, and the situation is very difficult in light of the Dutch team’s excellent appearance in the tournament, but Morocco can qualify because it has determination.”
He added: “I expect him, if he wins over the Netherlands, to reach an advanced stage in the tournament, as happened in the previous edition, in which he achieved fourth place.”
Regarding the Algerian team, Sanad explained: “Algeria will face Switzerland and has a good chance of qualifying, especially since Switzerland does not have a great history in the finals.”
He concluded his statements by emphasizing that the positive draw of the Algerian national team, 3-3, against Austria, restored confidence and ambitions, saying: “Algeria, after the positive draw with Austria, renewed ambitions.”
With the completion of the Arab teams qualifying for the knockout rounds in Morocco, Egypt and Algeria, the attention of the Arab fans is turning towards the upcoming confrontations, with the hope of continuing the Arab presence in the tournament and achieving a new achievement that enhances what the Arab teams presented in the last editions of the World Cup, especially in light of the three teams possessing elements capable of competing and continuing the journey in the tournament.
