Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, congratulated the Egyptian national football team on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

During a phone interview with Extra News TV on Wednesday evening, he thanked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his quick congratulations to the team heroes and his support for all Egyptian youth and athletes.

He stated that the Egyptian team has qualified for the World Cup four times, including twice in the new republic, adding: “Congratulations on the qualification, we must celebrate our team and tell them we support them and encourage them, especially with the presence of an Egyptian technical management and a professional team.”

He also thanked the Egyptian Football Association, headed by Hany Abu Rida, explaining that the ministry, in cooperation with the association, set a goal to reach the World Cup and represent Egypt honorably in the tournament, exerting great effort in the Africa Cup of Nations and reaching the final match.

The minister confirmed the ministry’s support for Captain Hossam Hassan to have every opportunity as an Egyptian coach, expressing his happiness with Egypt’s many achievements during October, which marks the anniversary of the war.

He added: “Thank God, in October Dr. Khaled El-Anany won the most important position as Director-General of UNESCO, and we qualified for the World Cup.. October is a blessing, and may Egypt always be well despite the great challenges the country faces.”

The Egyptian national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup after a big 3-0 victory over Djibouti in the ninth round of the African qualifiers for the tournament.

Egypt topped its group with 23 points, five points ahead of its closest competitor Burkina Faso.