The small coffeehouse in Cairo became a miniature stadium on Tuesday as hundreds of fans, mostly men and boys, some as young as 7, packed the venue and gathered around wall-mounted televisions awaiting kickoff.
The same scene unfolded across football-obsessed Egypt as the Pharaohs took on defending World Cup champion Argentina in a Round of 16 match in Atlanta.
Although Egypt's remarkable run ended with a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina, the day marked a historic milestone for millions of Egyptians who watched their national team reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
"It's a brutal way to go out," teacher Ahmed Saadany said after the match. "The journey shouldn't have ended like that."
Led by star forward Mohamed Salah, Egypt booked its place in the Round of 16 after defeating Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in the Round of 32 on Friday.
The Pharaohs had already made history by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time, finishing second in Group G behind Belgium.
Preparations for the match began well before the 7 p.m. local kickoff. Rows of plastic and wooden chairs faced wall-mounted television screens as fans flocked to hundreds of thousands of coffeehouses and fan zones across Egypt.
In public squares and along major thoroughfares, vendors sold Egyptian flags, whistles and other fan paraphernalia ahead of the match.
Throughout the day, Egyptian flags fluttered from vehicles and balconies as debates on television and in public spaces, including coffeehouses and markets, centered on the national team's performance and its matchup against Argentina.
"Overall, the performance was excellent," said Hassan Shehata as he took his seat in a packed Cairo coffeehouse ahead of Tuesday's match. "We're developing. We play and compete."
It was Egypt's fourth World Cup appearance, with the most populous Arab nation and seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champion proving difficult to beat.
The 2026 tournament marked Egypt's best-ever World Cup performance. The Pharaohs snapped their winless World Cup record with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand before advancing to the knockout stage for the first time.
"It was a dream," said Rami Saeed, a 23-year-old university student. "Coach Hossam Hassan and his team exceeded our expectations."
At a packed coffeehouse in Giza, many fans wrapped themselves in Egyptian flags or waved them while chanting "Masr, Masr, Masr!" the Arabic name for Egypt. Others beat drums.
The coffeehouse erupted when Egypt scored and when goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy saved Lionel Messi's penalty kick. It fell silent as Argentina scored its goals.
Fans were disappointed by Tuesday's loss but took pride in the team's historic performance.
"It's injustice," said Haitham Raafat, a 13-year-old boy who burst into tears after the final whistle. "The referee wasn't fair."
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi praised the team's "unprecedented accomplishment in the history of Egyptian football."
"Thank you to the heroes of the national football team," he wrote in a social media post. "We are proud of you and your achievement."
Shaban Youssef, a 45-year-old mechanical engineer, said he was also proud of the team.
"They held our heads high, especially Hossam Hassan's support for the Palestinian people," he said.
Hassan, Egypt's head coach, used the World Cup stage to express support for the Palestinian people during an impassioned monologue at a pregame news conference.
Asked about draping a Palestinian flag around his shoulders after Egypt's victory over Australia in the previous round, Hassan responded with a speech that lasted more than four minutes and drew applause from reporters.
"If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human, whether they are Arab, European or American," he said.
Hassan's comments were widely praised by Egyptians, many of whom took to social media to express support for both the coach and the Palestinians.
"Whatever the result," prominent novelist Ezzat el-Kamhawi wrote in a Facebook post ahead of Tuesday's match. "Our team plays tonight, and the championship is already in their pocket, thanks to Hossam Hassan's goal against Zionism."
During Egypt's World Cup matches, hundreds of war-weary Palestinians gathered around television screens in makeshift shelters across the war-torn Gaza Strip to cheer on the Pharaohs. They chanted, clapped and waved Egyptian flags as patriotic Egyptian songs played in the background.
"It's a duty to support Egypt," Soliman Salem, a young Palestinian man, said in a phone interview from his shelter in Gaza after Tuesday's match. "We're very sad, but proud of the Egyptians."
Abdel-Rahman Baroud, another Gaza resident, said they had hoped Egypt would advance to the next round, but "luck wasn't on their side in the second half."
"We all return home disappointed," he said.
