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In one of my favorite shows, Ramy, the main character goes through a series of mishaps and misfortunes, but ultimately comes to the realization that what’s meant to be will be.

Maktoob. Destiny. 

In the lead up to their monumental match against Argentina in the Round of 16, we will soon know if Egypt is destined to beat the 2022 World Cup champions. But what is certain is there’s a plan for how the football ecosystem will develop in Egypt, no matter what happens in the 2026 World Cup. 

In the Egypt Vision 2030, the country’s strategic initiatives for further developing their nation, it states the following: 

“Therefore, Egypt’s Vision 2030 aims to support and enrich cultural life in all its forms, enhance citizens’ awareness of sports, and provide inclusive sports facilities without discrimination based on financial capability or geographical location.”

And some of the ways they aim to enrich sports to improve the livelihoods of Egyptians are through the following methods (pulled directly from Egypt Vision 2030): 

• Increase the percentage of funds allocated to culture and sports within the total state budget.
• Instill awareness of the importance of culture and sports, as well as heritage preservation among youth by emphasizing them in education curricula.
• Rehabilitate all forms of cultural and sports facilities to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities across all governorates.
• Ensuring availability of sports facilities, such as centers, arenas, sports cities, and stadiums in proportion to the population in different geographical regions.
• Discover and nurture talented, gifted, creative, and innovative individuals to build the human capital that empowers Egypt to achieve regional and global leadership and competition in various fields of scientific, literary, artistic, cultural, and sports creativity.

By advancing to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history, they’ve already amassed $15 million in prize money from their participation in the 2026 World Cup, with the potential for it to rise to $19 million if they do the improbable and defeat Argentina and advance to the quarterfinals. 

These dollars, I’m sure, can accomplish a lot of the aforementioned action items. Much like how the hosting of the World Cup was seen as a catalyst to boost the football experience in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, Egypt’s tournament run has potential long lasting implications as well. 

I don’t know what percentage of this prize money makes up their operating budget, but it’s a lot of money and they must use these unprecedented earnings wisely and responsibly. Time will tell if they do use it appropriately; it’ll be evident in the team’s performance in AFCON 2027, AFCON 2028, Arab Cup 2029, and the 2030 World Cup (which they should qualify for).

Good luck Egypt against Argentina! Make history!