Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi sent a message of support and appreciation to the Egypt national team players following the conclusion of their journey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, praising the performance the team delivered against Argentina in a match that many have described as one of the most thrilling of the tournament.
Egypt ended their World Cup participation in the round of 16, losing to Argentina 3-2, despite leading 2-0 until the final minutes, before the defending champions overturned the result and secured their place in the quarter-finals.
Al-Sisi wrote on his official account on the X platform: "Thank you to the heroes of the national football team for their honourable performance and for achieving an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of Egyptian football."
He added: "We are proud of you and of what you have achieved, and the future holds better things for you, God willing."
The match saw a perfect start for the Pharaohs, as Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute, before Argentina captain Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the 21st minute, with the first half ending with Egypt leading 1-0.
In the second half, Mustafa Zizo scored a second goal in the 58th minute, but the referee disallowed it after a VAR review ruled that a foul had been committed against Marwan Attia. However, Zizo found the net again in the 67th minute, and this time the goal stood, following an assist from Haitham Hassan.
Despite Egypt's dominance, Argentina managed to turn the game around in the final minutes, as Cristian Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute, Messi equalised in the 83rd minute, before Enzo Fernández snatched a dramatic winning goal in the 92nd minute, guiding his side into the quarter-finals.
With this victory, Argentina will face the winner of the Switzerland–Colombia tie in the World Cup quarter-finals.