BBC News, Arabic. Go to content Home Watch Listen Main Sections News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations Popular Celebration for Egypt's National Team After Controversy Over Their Reception in El Alamein Photo Credit: Hazem GOUDA / AFP via Getty Images
Egyptian state media reported that a celebration honoring the Egyptian national football team will take place on Monday, with a large public attendance to celebrate them for their outstanding performance in the World Cup, featuring singer Tamer Hosny, who will perform music, shows, and fireworks during the event.
This celebration comes after some social media users, who wished to greet the players personally, expressed their disappointment and frustration for being deprived of this due to the long distance, as a celebration for the team took place in the distant coastal city of El Alamein.
Some users criticized what they described as depriving various segments of society from participating in the celebration. There was also increased talk of organizing other celebrations for them to allow the fans to celebrate with the players.
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Others criticized the lack of organizing a large celebration for the players and technical staff that befits the strong performance they provided in the tournament, as they also criticized their transfer from the airport via an open bus in the scorching sun without a large public attendance.
Photo Credit: Ehab Mesallum Facebook Account
Meanwhile, some questioned the pictures showing a weak audience around the players at the airport and outside, saying that the images were cropped.
Photo Credit: Ahmed Shamarka Facebook Account
Others considered that the national team arriving at El Alamein Airport instead of Cairo Airport was a boost for tourism; especially since the focus is on the team after their strong performance against Argentina.
Photo Credit: Sonaa Fi Masr - Facebook Page
Many on social media considered that choosing El Alamein city to receive the team was a bias towards the higher income classes, who are often referred to as "Egypt's Citizens," as a name for Egypt in English, at the expense of citizens from the middle and poorer classes.
Meanwhile, prominent lawyer and member of the presidential pardon committee, Tarek Elawady, made an urgent appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi via his Facebook account.
Elawady wrote: "Mother Ibrahim... and Master Said… and Teacher Atiya are Egyptian examples who deserve to celebrate their team; every time Egypt's national team achieves a milestone, the calls for celebration resonate, and the streets are filled with flags and chants".
Elawady questioned, asking: "Who are we making the celebration for? Is it for those who can travel hundreds of kilometers to El Alamein, book a hotel, and bear the costs of travel and accommodation? Or is it also for Mother Ibrahim, who lives on a modest pension, and for Master Said, who spends his day between the hammer and wrench, and for Teacher Atiya, who hasn’t gotten a vacation in months?"
He added: "These are the real fans of Egypt… they are the ones who carry the country on their shoulders and deserve to live a complete moment of joy with their team".
Some suggested that the Egyptian authorities do not want any gatherings, whether spontaneous or sports-related, amid what they described as a tightening security grip on society since the current regime took power.
Photo Credit: Houssam Bahgat Facebook Account
In contrast, some social media users attributed the celebration in El Alamein and not Cairo to the difficulty of securing the massive crowds that could have gathered to greet the team at Cairo Airport; this could cause disruptions in the movement of travelers arriving from flights at Cairo Airport. They also said that another reason is that El Alamein is a beautiful tourist destination, as they put it.
Photo Credit: Ramy Elnahal Facebook Account
Meanwhile, activists on social media believed that the Egyptian capital Cairo is too crowded,...