Letter from Mideast: A shared Arab dream - Mehr News Agency
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Letter from Mideast: A shared Arab dream
TEHRAN, Jul. 12 (MNA) – For several unforgettable days, the Arab world seemed to be dreaming the same dream. From Cairo to Rabat, millions across the region followed Egypt and Morocco as they carried Arab hopes deep into knockout stages at World Cup.
From Cairo to Rabat, millions across the region followed Egypt and Morocco as they carried Arab hopes deep into the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Now, no Arab team remains. France ended Morocco's campaign with a 2-0 victory in Thursday's quarterfinal, two days after Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 16 match.
The results were painful. Yet, for me, this Arab World Cup journey was about much more than winning or losing football matches.
It was about ambition, dignity, solidarity, and the enduring Arab desire to stand among the world's best.
Egypt's campaign ended in an especially heartbreaking fashion. The Pharaohs led defending champion Argentina 2-0 before conceding three late goals, including the winner in stoppage time.
Like many Egyptians, I watched in disbelief as our advantage slipped away. But amid the sorrow, what lingered was not bitterness but pride -- pride in a team that pushed Lionel Messi and the world champions to the edge of elimination.
"It's sad, but it's okay. Morocco is still there to continue the dream," my friend Ahmed Yassin, an accountant who watched the match with me at a packed coffee shop in Cairo, said after Egypt's defeat.
"We support Morocco as an Arab team anyway, even if Egypt had not lost," he added.
Egypt had already made history by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, securing the country's first-ever World Cup victory in the group phase and later advancing past Australia on penalties in the Round of 32.
When the players returned home, thousands greeted them at the airport as heroes.
One of the most touching images of the Arab World Cup journey, however, came not from goals.
Arab peoples may not agree on every regional issue, but during this World Cup, they largely stood together.
Videos circulated online showing crowded coffee shops in several Arab countries erupting with joy whenever Egypt or Morocco scored. The flags of both nations flew from balconies and car windows, transcending borders and divisions.
Even in Gaza, Palestinians watched Egypt and Morocco on large screens set up amid the rubble of their war-ravaged enclave.
"The few streets that remained undestroyed in Gaza were filled with people, young and old, men and women, who gathered around large screens in public areas to watch the matches and cheer for Egypt and Morocco in every match," said Sulaiman Hejji, a Gaza resident.
When Morocco, the last Arab team standing, left the tournament, it felt as though the whole region had let out one long, collective sigh.
Morocco and Egypt went home with their heads held high, carrying not only their own flags but also the hopes of a fractured region long accustomed to being overlooked.
Their victories were celebrated as Arab victories; their defeats were felt as Arab defeats. For a few weeks, that meant something profound: the Arab world was not a collection of separate nations, but one vast, hopeful crowd united by a common dream.
That dream has ended, but only for now. And I believe that if this World Cup proved anything, it is that other, bigger dreams are already beginning to take shape.
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