Millions of Egyptians watched in disbelief and excitement this evening as their national team played its historic match against Argentina. For long stretches, it seemed as though a place in the quarterfinals was within reach: The "Pharaohs" took the lead, doubled it, and even saw another goal disallowed by the referee.
But toward the end of the match, everything changed. Lionel Messi led Argentina to a dramatic comeback, with the world champions completing the turnaround and winning 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
صدمة تسيطر على الجماهير المصرية بعد الهدف الثاني للأرجنتين في شباك شوبير pic.twitter.com/1SLY5DkOED
— مصراوي (@masrawy) July 7, 2026
In Egypt, the reaction was one of deep disappointment, but also pride in the team's performance. Many fans praised the players on social media, alongside claims of bad luck and a sense of a missed opportunity. "They played against the Argentinians, Messi and FIFA. It doesn't matter, bad luck. You were heroes on the pitch and played with honor. We are proud of you," one fan wrote.
Another fan expressed the sense of frustration and anger over the refereeing decisions, writing: "Even Messi can't believe they beat Egypt." He added, "There is one thing that surprised me: Why did the referee go back to VAR and disallow Egypt's second goal, but refuse to go back to it again to review an incident in which Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a penalty?"
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also commented on the match, writing on X: "Thank you to the heroes of the national soccer team for their honorable performance and for an unprecedented achievement in the history of Egyptian soccer. We are proud of you. The future will be better for you, Allah willing."
