Friday, July 3, 2026

2026 World Cup: New Football History by Egypt Again, Pharaohs to Round of 16

It is Friday, and Egypt will not sleep tonight. Neither will the Arab world.

It feels as though we, the Egyptians, have won the World Cup. In reality, we only defeated Australia and advanced to the Round of 16.

Our boys wheen Hossam Abdel Maguid scored the last penalty

Yet this was the biggest match in the history of the Egyptian national team—at least until the next one.

Egypt defeated Australia in another dramatic, nerve-racking match, and the Arab world is celebrating as if we have already lifted the trophy.

I did not believe we could do it.

The Australian players were taller and physically stronger, while our Egyptian squad looked smaller, exhausted, and battered by injuries.

Mohamed Salah played all 120 minutes despite everything and even converted his penalty in the shootout.

Mohamed Salah, 2026 World Cup Pharaoh 

But somehow, it happened again. We won against all odds.

Or perhaps not entirely against the odds. Many football analysts had predicted an Egyptian victory, pointing to the teams' histories and the quality of their players.

Still, I remained pessimistic throughout the tournament. Years of World Cup heartbreak had left their mark on me, as had Egypt's disappointing performances—and misfortune—in recent editions of the Africa Cup of Nations after once becoming the undisputed kings of the continent.

I could not bring myself to watch the entire penalty shootout. Before the final two kicks were even taken, I already knew what had happened from the streets outside. I heard the screams of grown men and the desperate prayers of young boys crying, "Ya Rab"—"Oh God"—from the depths of their hearts.

The streets of Giza, Cairo, and cities across Egypt erupted with joy. The air shook with cheers, screams, car horns, and fireworks.

I was like Ibrahim Hassan, who buried his face in his twin brother Hossam Hassan's shoulder, unable to watch the penalty shootout. Every football fan knows that penalties are often decided by luck—or so we say. Looking back now, it feels like it was much more than luck.

Football analyst Mahmoud Salim analyzed the movements of Australia's substitute goalkeeper and presented the footage to the Egyptian players on a tablet during extra time, before the penalty shootout.

Salim first gained recognition on social media during the 2018 Russia World Cup for his tactical football analysis. Hossam Hassan recognized his talent and brought him into the Egyptian national team's technical staff, where his work paid off in one of the most crucial moments of Egypt's World Cup campaign.

It took Mohamed Salah only a couple of minutes to identify the Australian keeper's weakness, reminding us that penalty shootouts are not entirely about luck.

It was a football lesson for everyone.

Once again, Egypt made history.

For the first time in its football history, the Egyptian national team advanced to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup under an Egyptian coach.

For the first time, an Egyptian goalkeeper saved two penalties in a World Cup shootout.

It was also Egypt's first appearance in the World Cup knockout stage—and its first-ever knockout victory.

Mostafa Shobair made history with a performance that surpassed even his father's achievements. Ahmed Shobair himself proudly admitted that his son had outdone him.


Yes, we also added another curious entry to the record books. For the second time in the tournament, our defender Mohamed Hany accidentally scored an own goal. But jokes aside, Hany prevented dozens of goals throughout this World Cup.

He was completely exhausted.

During that match alone, he collapsed twice, yet somehow managed to complete all 120 minutes. Many people—including myself—have wondered whether he may have suffered a mild concussion.

Haitham Hassan is another revelation. The young man is an absolute gem who should never be left on the bench under any circumstances.

Imam Ashour also joined the list of Egypt's World Cup goal scorers.

Beyond the football itself, this was the first time in my life that I witnessed Arab cities—from Riyadh and Gaza to Mosul and Benghazi—celebrating an Egyptian football victory with such genuine joy. Egypt's historic qualification for the Round of 16 felt like a victory shared by the entire Arab world.

In Gaza, people followed the match against all odds, searching for a brief moment of joy amid the destruction surrounding them.

Palestinians in Gaza celebrating the Egyptian football victory

Thousands of Palestinians of all ages followed the match from their refugee camp. 

Watching the game with the help of a projector by AFP

Seeing them celebrate and smile made me prouder than ever.

Palestinian children and teens watching the game "AFP"

The Egyptian Committee in Gaza set up a small fan zone in the besieged, occupied sector.

Gaza's semi-fan zone by Ashraf Ramadan

In Gaza, a Palestinian man celebrated Egypt's victory by handing out slices of watermelon to people in the streets.

Others were just watching the game from their mobile phones.

Palestinians also celebrated, whether in the West Bank or in cities like Beersheba. 

Here are the Arab Palestinian tribes of Beersheba celebrating the victory.


Many of them celebrated the victory before they even knew that our coach, Hossam Hassan, had walked onto the pitch carrying a Palestinian flag—a gesture that made an unforgettable night even more memorable.

Several Palestinian flags were brought by fans.

Hossam Hassan running around the stadium with the Palestinian flag became one of the defining images of that historic match.

A photo of Hassan holding both the Egyptian and Palestinian flags became iconic for a whole generation. 

Coach Hossam Hassan with two flags of Palestine and Egypt

The Palestinian flag was not notably absent from the celebrations back home in Egypt.

There was also a Lebanon flag that could not be missed by anyone in the game.


It turns out that it was brought by a young Lebanese man, according to his grandma on Twitter.

Syrians celebrated it in several areas above them in Damascus.

Despite the ongoing war of words between Egyptian and Saudi troll accounts on social media, ordinary Saudis celebrated Egypt's victory as if it were their own.

Those videos made many wonder who is really behind these hate campaigns. I know who—and I'm glad he's watching and fuming with anger in his palace in the Kingdom.

Here is a video from the streets of Riyadh.

In Kuwait, veteran football fan Bu Jassem, who is known for supporting football teams, cried when we won.

Here is the fan zone in Iraq’s Baghdad.

Back in Egypt, it was a night to remember because it was early Friday morning.

Wedding parties included TV panels to air the match, celebrating the victory eventually.

The wildest video was a newlywed couple celebrating the victory in the street with total strangers.

Playing against Argentina does not scare me or other Egyptians because we know if we lose, we will already have made history and will lose to the previous World Cup winner.

We are not starstruck with Messi. We remember when Mess had headbutted Al-Ahly and Egypt National Team Yasser Ibrahim in a fight on the pitch in Al-Ahly vs Inter Miami in FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) 2025 from

Yasser Ibrahim is already injured. He may not play in the upcoming game. But aside from his talent as a defender in Al-Ahly FC, I know Hossam Hassan liked what Ibrahim did with Messi.

He was not starstruck, nor shy or afraid.

Yes, bring Messi to us, as our fans in the US said.

Also, bring up those two cute babies.

We are ready.

Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, June 28, 2026

2026 World Cup: Egypt Makes History Again, Advances to Round of 32

Egypt has barely made it, but it made it officially.

Egypt's National Football Team is through to the Round of 32 of the World Cup 2026, for the first time in our football history — and for the first time in World Cup history after a tie with Iran in a football match to remember.

Mahmoud Trezeguet and Ramin Rezaeian

Mahmoud Trezeguet and Ramin Rezaeian

There are many firsts here.

Egypt's qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has already become a landmark achievement in our national team's history, setting a series of unprecedented records.

For the first time, Egypt progressed beyond the World Cup group stage, completed the group phase unbeaten, secured a 3-1 victory over New Zealand, and finished second in its group on goal difference behind Belgium.

The Pharaohs also scored a record five goals in a single World Cup group stage, netted their earliest-ever World Cup goal in the sixth minute of a match, and entered their final group game with qualification already guaranteed.

Read more »
Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, June 22, 2026

2026 World Cup: The Pharaohs broke the curse, Egypt won its first WC match after 92 years.

When I saw the Egyptian national team's first-half performance against New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup, I decided to turn off the TV and get some sleep.

It was nearly 5 a.m. Cairo time, and after watching the Kiwis take the lead, it seemed that the old-World Cup curse haunting Egypt was still very much alive.

But my sleep was cut short by screams and cheers coming from the streets.

We had scored a historic equalizer.

The rest is history.

Since its first World Cup appearance in 1934, Egypt not only won its first-ever match in the tournament but also produced a stunning comeback, aka remontada, to go top of its group.

Read more »
Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , ,

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Happy Hijri Year 1448: Al-Aqsa is in a huge danger and Many Muslims are still refugees

Happy and blessed New Hijri Year 1448 to all Muslims in the world, especially to the Muslim refugees.

Today marks Muharram 1, 1448 AH.

Today is the start of the new Islamic Hijri Year 1448.

Once again, I have to remind people that our Islamic calendar began more than fourteen centuries ago when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, the first Muslims, sought refuge and safety in Yathrib, which later became Medina, the first capital of the Islamic state.

The early Muslims were refugees. In fact, almost all the prophets of the Abrahamic faiths and their earliest followers experienced displacement, exile, or persecution. It seems to be a recurring chapter in the story of faith.

As of 2026, the Muslim world is once again home to some of the largest displaced populations on Earth. Approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees remain registered with UNRWA, while about 4.9 million Syrian refugees continue to live outside their homeland, primarily in neighboring countries and across Europe.

Read more »
Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Seen in Downtown Cairo : Before and after the Egyptian Railways Engineering Building

Seen in Downtown Cairo: Before-and-after photos of the Egyptian Railways Engineering Building document the final days of the famous 100-plus-year-old headquarters in Ramses Square — from its preparation for demolition, to the demolition itself, and finally its disappearance to make way for the widening of the October Bridge.

Constructed in 1908, the building was officially listed as architecturally significant under Law 144 of 2006, which protects structures of historical and aesthetic value.

However, in May 2024, the Ministry of Housing issued a decree removing several properties in western Cairo from that protected list, including the Egyptian Railways headquarters at 6 El-Galaa Street.

In 2026, it was fully demolished. I took photos of it in those days, if not months.

Read more »
Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , , , , , ,
Location Ramsis Square, Al Azbakeya, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Friday, June 5, 2026

Naksa at 59: Haaretz exposed what Egypt’s Akher Saa published from 59 years ago “The 1967 War Crimes That Israelis Do Not Know About”

It is Naksa Day, and we are still living with its consequences.

Even in Egypt, despite the 1973 War and the return of Sinai, we continue to live with — and suffer from — its regional repercussions.

We have also failed to learn, or perhaps have forgotten, many of the lessons that we, as Egyptians and Arabs, should have drawn from that defeat — politically before militarily.

The same underlying causes not only still exist in Cairo, but across capitals throughout the Arab world, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf.

This year, on the 59th anniversary of the Naksa, Haaretz published yet another bombshell for the Israeli public under the headline, "We Were Ordered to Kill": The 1967 Nakba That Israelis Don't Know About.

These testimonies expose a stark, unbridgeable gap between Israel’s carefully curated collective memory and the brutal reality of 1967.

In other words, they tear away the false narrative propagated by Israel’s military propaganda machine—a myth fed for decades to the Western world and the Israeli public to frame theirs as “the most moral army in the Middle East, if not the universe.”

The leftist-liberal Israeli newspaper revealed that newly uncovered documents indicate that 300,000 Arabs were expelled or forcibly displaced from the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights amid systemic violence, looting, and wholesale destruction.

Among the leaked files was a 1967 memorandum from Israel’s legal advisor famous judge Theodor Meron, explicitly warning senior Israeli officials that the forced expulsion of Palestinian civilians constituted "a serious violation of the Geneva Convention."

What the Israeli army perpetrated in the Sinai was mentioned only briefly in the Haaretz piece, primarily because those other captured territories remain under Israeli occupation today, unlike the Sinai, which Egypt successfully regained. (I will review the specific atrocities committed on the Egyptian front in a separate, upcoming post).

To be frank, nothing in Haaretz’s report about Israeli war crimes was new to me as an Egyptian, nor would it be new to most Arabs.

Egyptians and Palestinians have been shouting these truths to a deaf world—especially to the West—for nearly six decades.

Yet, despite a mountain of archival evidence and countless firsthand survivor and victim testimonies, much of the global community only began paying attention when an Israeli newspaper published the soldiers and victimizers’ letters.

A Note on Historical Context and Language

Before we dive into the archives, I must clarify an important linguistic choice in my translations. In translating the summer 1967 press reports detailing the tragic exodus from the West Bank, I have intentionally preserved the original text’s use of the terms "Arab refugees" and "Arab residents" rather than modernizing them to "Palestinians."

While a modern audience automatically views these events through a specific Palestinian national lens, the nationalized Egyptian press of 1967 was operating under a dual legacy. First was the linguistic residue of the British Mandate, which categorized the region strictly into "Arabs and Jews." Second was the ideological peak of Nasserite Pan-Arabism, which framed the defense of Palestine not as an isolated local conflict, but as a collective Arab responsibility.

Ironically, preserving this older vocabulary completely dismantles modern Zionist propaganda claiming that Egypt "invented" the Palestinian identity in the mid-1960s. The archival record demonstrates a deeply rooted population whose distinct connection to the land was so universally understood that reporters used the local and regional terms interchangeably.

I used both the AUC Rare Books and Collections Online library as well as the Torath Misr Official website, which is still in Beta phase

The Robin Dispatch from River Jordan
Read more »
Posted by at No comments:
Filed under , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Happy Eid — If You Are Not Palestinian or Lebanese

It was supposed to be a happy Eid for the two girls — at last — after two hard years of survival and hunger that made them, like every other child in Gaza, older than their age and afraid of what tomorrow might bring.

It was supposed to be a happy Eid eve. Their mother took them to one of the remaining markets in Gaza to buy Eid outfits, to make them feel happy, to make them feel like children — but they are Palestinian kids living in Gaza, where the odds of happiness, like any other child's, are very few.

They went after the Day of Arafat Iftar to get the clothes, only to find the Israeli army bombing the market. Suddenly, everyone was scattered, everyone was searching for everyone else — and above all, for safety.

The two girls — the eldest stepped into the role of the adult, looking around in shock, while the younger one, in disbelief, shook her head and waved her arms in denial as their mother lay badly injured in the street.

Read more »
Posted by at 1 comment:
Filed under , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)