Egypt's National Team Returns Home After Best World Cup Run

Hundreds of supporters wearing red, white and black gathered outside the airport in El-Alamein on Friday to welcome Egypt's national football team after its best-ever World Cup performance. The side recorded its first World Cup victory and advanced to the last 16 for the first time before falling 3-2 to Argentina in a match it led 2-0 with minutes remaining.

Fans filled the grounds outside the airport, where the players boarded an open-top bus for a parade through the coastal city. " One supporter, Mohamed Gehad, told AFP he was happy with the team and noted that its spirit remained high. Another fan, Eyad Ahmed, said the players had reached a stage they had never reached before.

Team captain Mohamed Salah wrote on social media that he would do everything in his power to ensure this marks a new beginning for Egyptian football on the international stage. The players are scheduled to meet President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday.

" During the tournament, coach Hassan waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch after Egypt's win over Australia and dedicated the victory to the Palestinian people. He had earlier described the suffering of the Palestinian people as "a shame on the world" and called on football to do more to help.

Thousands of Palestinians watched Egypt's matches in makeshift cafes inside tents or structures built from salvaged corrugated metal.