The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has officially extended the contract of national team coach Hossam Hassan following Egypt’s historic run in the World Cup. The decision, approved by the EFA board and announced by president Hany Abu Rida, secures Hassan’s position until 2030. Hassan, 59, took charge of the national team in February 2024 and led Egypt to the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. He revealed earlier that he had been managing the team without a formal contract since February.

Under Hassan’s leadership, Egypt achieved its first-ever World Cup victory, defeating New Zealand 3–1 in the group stage, and advanced to the knockout rounds for the first time since its debut in 1934. The team beat Australia in a penalty shootout to reach the round of 16, where they narrowly lost 3–2 to Argentina after leading 2–0 until the 78th minute.

Despite the elimination, Egypt’s spirited performance earned widespread praise, prompting the EFA to show long-term confidence in Hassan. Before coaching, he was one of Egypt’s football legends, holding the national record with 69 goals in 177 appearances.

The Egyptian Football Association has lodged a written complaint with FIFA against French referee François Letexier and his officiating team following Egypt’s dramatic 3–2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup round of 16 in Atlanta. Egypt, which led 2–0 until the 78th minute, conceded three late goals and was eliminated from the tournament. The federation’s letter, signed by president Hany Abu Rida, alleges that a disallowed goal, a denied penalty appeal, and several key decisions unfairly went against Egypt. It has requested FIFA to investigate the incidents and to exclude Letexier from officiating further matches in the tournament.

Egyptian officials claim the disputed calls influenced the match outcome, asserting that the refereeing team played a decisive role in Argentina’s victory. Midfielder Mostafa Zizo, whose goal was disallowed by VAR, and head coach Hossam Hassan both expressed dissatisfaction, with Hassan suggesting commercial motives behind keeping Lionel Messi and Argentina in the competition.

FIFA has not yet issued any official response to Egypt’s complaint. The controversy adds to broader criticism of refereeing standards in the ongoing World Cup, where several matches have sparked debate over officiating quality.

Egypt’s national football coach Hossam Hassan said that anyone who does not feel the suffering of Palestinians is not human, regardless of nationality. He made the remarks during a press conference ahead of Egypt’s Round of 16 match against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup. Hassan, who had earlier dedicated Egypt’s historic penalty shootout victory over Australia to the people of Palestine, also waved the Palestinian flag on the field, describing it as a natural human reaction.

Hassan emphasized that while people protest animal cruelty worldwide, the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in missile attacks have become disturbingly normalized. He urged that humanity should come before religion or ethnicity and that everyone should stand with the oppressed. He added that his message through football aligns with FIFA’s call for mutual respect and the right to live with dignity.

According to the report, since the war began on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leaving many displaced amid destruction. Global protests and solidarity from athletes have followed.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stated that normalization of relations with Israel will not be possible until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories. Speaking on Sunday, Sisi emphasized that lasting peace and genuine stability cannot be achieved without ending occupation, halting aggression, restoring rights to their rightful owners, and ensuring security for all.

Sisi, whose country became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, reiterated that a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and Palestine is the only solution to the Middle East crisis. He said that fair peace would allow the region’s people to live in stability and prosperity.

The Egyptian leader also urged the international community to uphold the Gaza ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, claiming that more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the truce began.

Egypt made history by winning its first-ever World Cup knockout match, defeating Australia in a penalty shootout in Dallas, United States. The match ended 1-1 after regular and extra time, with Imam Ashour scoring early for Egypt and an own goal by Mohamed Hany leveling the score for Australia. Egypt secured a 4-2 win in the shootout, with decisive kicks from Hossam Abdelmaguid and missed attempts by Australia’s Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington.

After the match, Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan dedicated the victory to the people of war-torn Palestine, expressing prayers for their peace and honoring their resilience. His emotional message quickly spread across social media, sparking rare scenes of celebration in Gaza, where residents gathered amid ruins to watch the game on makeshift screens.

Videos shared online showed children with Egyptian flags painted on their faces and crowds cheering in the devastated streets. For many in Gaza, Egypt’s triumph brought a brief moment of joy and unity amid ongoing hardship.

In Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, Egypt achieved its first-ever World Cup victory, ending nearly a century of frustration. The team defeated their opponent 3–1, with Mohamed Salah playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and assisting another. The win brought Egypt to the brink of qualifying for the knockout stage, marking a historic moment for the nation’s football journey.

Egypt’s World Cup history has long been marked by disappointment. They first appeared in 1934 as the first African and Arab nation to play in the tournament but lost their only match. After returning in 1990, they again failed to win any of their three games. In 2018, despite Salah’s two goals, Egypt exited after three losses. Following a demanding club season, Salah returned to lead his country once more, turning past heartbreak into triumph.

Ahead of their final group match against Iran on Saturday, Egypt’s players now face the next challenge with renewed confidence, having finally lifted the burden of generations of missed opportunities.

Egypt secured its first-ever FIFA World Cup victory by defeating New Zealand 3-1 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. Despite trailing early to a header from New Zealand defender Finn Surman, Hossam Hassan’s team mounted a strong comeback to claim the win and move to the top of Group G with four points from two matches.

After a difficult first half, Egypt equalized through Mostafa Zizo’s header from a corner. The team grew in confidence as midfielder Imam Ashour controlled play and captain Mohamed Salah led from the front, scoring a decisive goal that turned the match in Egypt’s favor. Trezeguet sealed the result with a late header from another corner, confirming Egypt’s historic triumph.

With this result, Egypt leads Group G ahead of its final match against Iran, while New Zealand faces Belgium in a challenging situation after losing another lead.

Egypt has called on the United States and Iran to take advantage of all available opportunities to reach a peace agreement aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. The appeal was made through a statement issued by Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which also commended U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned military strike against Iran.

The ministry expressed hope that this moment could be used to create a favorable environment for resolving outstanding issues and opening a new chapter of regional stability. It emphasized Egypt’s commitment to continue its tireless and sincere efforts to reduce tensions through coordination and cooperation with regional and international partners.

According to the statement, Egypt remains focused on promoting dialogue and stability in the region, viewing the current situation as a critical opportunity to prevent further escalation and foster long-term peace.

Egypt has inaugurated the East Nile route of the Cairo Monorail, Africa’s first fully driverless monorail system, on May 6, 2026. The 56.5-kilometer line connects Cairo’s Nasr City International Stadium area with the new administrative capital being built in the desert to ease congestion in the capital. A second 43.8-kilometer West Nile route is under construction to link 6th of October City with Giza. Once both routes are operational, the network will exceed 100 kilometers, surpassing China’s Chongqing Monorail as the world’s longest.

The Cairo Monorail project, valued at about 2.3 billion pounds, was launched in 2019 to expand the city’s transport capacity beyond its three metro lines, which already carry around 500 million passengers annually. The system, built and operated by a consortium led by French rail manufacturer Alstom, includes 68 trains made up of 272 coaches built in Derby, England. Each train can carry up to 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.

Alstom describes the monorail as environmentally friendly, with low noise levels and the ability to recover up to 99 percent of braking energy, reducing fuel use. The Egyptian government expects the new capital to eventually house 6.5 million people and create 2 million jobs.

Archaeologists have rediscovered the long-lost Egyptian port city of Heracleion beneath the waters of Abu Qir Bay, about 32 kilometers from Alexandria. The discovery was made in 2000 by a team from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, led by renowned archaeologist Franck Goddio, while searching for a sunken warship of Napoleon. Instead, they uncovered the remains of Heracleion, buried under sand for 1,200 years. The find included a fragment of a six-ton statue of the god Hapi, which first signaled the presence of the ancient city.

Over the next 13 years, the team excavated numerous artifacts from the site, including temple ruins dedicated to Egyptian gods Amun and Khonsu, more than 64 shipwrecks, 700 anchors, gold coins, copper weights, and golden vessels. They also recovered a statue of Cleopatra III modeled after the goddess Isis, as well as stone inscriptions in Greek and Egyptian and animal mummies offered to Amun. Despite centuries underwater, many relics remained remarkably intact.

Heracleion, also known by its Egyptian name Thonis, was once a major Mediterranean port before an earthquake caused it to sink into the sea.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned on Saturday that deliberate efforts are underway to redraw the map of the Middle East. He made the remarks during a televised address marking the 44th anniversary of the liberation of the Sinai Peninsula from Israeli occupation. Sisi said the region is passing through a critical phase due to these planned attempts to reshape its boundaries.

In his speech, the president called for the full implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement signed last October. This phase includes ensuring unrestricted humanitarian aid access and the immediate start of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. Sisi also reaffirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land.

The source noted that Gaza was devastated by Israel’s two-year-long assault, and despite the ceasefire, Israeli attacks have continued. The first phase of the truce had involved the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages.

Egyptian writer Hossam al-Hamalawy, in his book discussed with Middle East Eye, argues that Egypt’s 2011 revolution against Hosni Mubarak’s rule did not end dictatorship but instead paved the way for a harsher, more centralized, and violence-driven system under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He describes how Egypt’s security apparatus evolved from Mubarak’s fragmented police state into a unified structure designed to prevent any future mass uprising.

The author, drawing from personal experience of arrest and surveillance, explains that Mubarak’s regime relied on police power to suppress dissent, while the 2011 uprising exposed the fragility of that system. The military, he notes, intervened not to support democracy but to preserve the state. Subsequent governments, including the Muslim Brotherhood under Mohamed Morsi, failed to reform the security institutions, ultimately enabling the 2013 coup.

Under Sisi, Egypt’s repressive institutions were consolidated into what Hamalawy calls a “new republic.” Military and intelligence agencies became deeply embedded in civilian administration, media, and urban planning, transforming the state into a tightly controlled security apparatus aimed at preventing collective resistance.

Egypt has ordered all shops, restaurants, and shopping centers to close by 9 p.m. each night for one month starting Saturday. The government said the measure aims to conserve energy as fuel prices have surged due to the ongoing war in Iran. Street lighting and advertising illumination will also be reduced, and employees will be allowed to work from home one day a week during April to save energy.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that Egypt’s petrol expenses more than doubled between January and March, reaching 2.5 billion dollars. Although Egypt is not directly involved in the conflict, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, leaving the import-dependent country vulnerable to shortages.

Hotels and tourist resorts are exempt from the restrictions, as tourism accounts for about one-tenth of Egypt’s economy. Essential services such as hospitals, schools, and factories will also remain unaffected by the work-from-home directive.

The small resort town of Taba, located on Egypt’s border with Israel, has turned into a major transit hub for Israelis and foreign nationals fleeing the ongoing conflict. Following Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the joint Israel–United States offensive, Israel closed its airspace, prompting travelers to use the Taba crossing to leave or return to the country. Since the first attacks on February 28, thousands of passengers have crossed through Taba in both directions, with many entering Egypt to catch flights to Europe and other destinations. The Taba International Airport has been reopened to handle the surge in travelers.

The Red Sea coastal town, usually known for tourism, is now crowded with evacuees and transit passengers. Several countries are arranging evacuations for their citizens, while airlines are rerouting regional flights. On March 1, Israel’s Arkia Airlines announced new flights between Taba and Athens and later expanded routes to six European destinations. A Cypriot and a Greek airline have also begun operating flights to Taba. Israel’s main carrier, El Al, considered moving flights there but withdrew due to security concerns.

Al-Azhar University celebrated its 1086th founding anniversary on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, with a grand ceremony held at its main mosque in Cairo. The event highlighted the institution’s long-standing role as a symbol of Islamic scholarship, worship, and civilization. Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Professor Dr. Nazir Ayyad, emphasized that Al-Azhar was built on the strength of knowledge rather than political power, grounded firmly in the Quran and Sunnah. University President Professor Dr. Salama Juma Daud described Al-Azhar’s scholars as vast oceans of knowledge who enriched generations with their encyclopedic wisdom.

Historical accounts note that construction of Al-Azhar began soon after the founding of Cairo under Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz li-Dinillah in 969 CE. The mosque was completed in 27 months, and the first congregational prayer was held on June 21, 972 CE. In 1172 CE, Sultan Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi transformed Al-Azhar into a central Sunni institution representing the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence, shaping its evolution into a global hub of Sunni scholarship.