President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi expressed his aspiration for Egypt to host the FIFA World Cup in the future during a meeting with football's global governing body in Cairo on Sunday. The visit by the FIFA delegation marks the second stop of the promotional tour for the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament, which is the first to feature an expanded 48-team format, will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026 and consist of a record 104 matches. Presidential spokesperson Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy said Al-Sisi welcomed the delegation and noted that selecting Egypt as the second stop for the tour reflects the country's standing on the global sporting map. The president stated that the event presents an important opportunity to promote sports tourism and culture among youth. Egypt has already secured its place in the 2026 finals after finishing top of its qualifying group in October 2025. Following the official tournament draw in December, the Pharaohs have been placed in Group G. They are scheduled to open their campaign against Belgium in Seattle on 15 June, followed by New Zealand in Vancouver on 21 June, and Iran in Seattle on 26 June. The FIFA delegation expressed appreciation for the meeting and praised Egypt's advanced sports infrastructure. The visiting group included former Italian international Fabio Cannavaro, winner of the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year award, alongside Javier Ignacio Cepsi Berdevsky, a director at FIFA's Zurich headquarters, and World Cup tour director Sebastian Ferrio. According to the spokesperson, the tour is part of a historic global journey spanning 30 countries. The event celebrates the 20th anniversary of the "Trophy Tour" organised through a partnership between FIFA and Coca-Cola. Egypt is one of nine African nations to have qualified directly for the 2026 tournament, joining Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy and Egyptian Football Association President Hany Abo Rida. The sponsoring company was represented by Alexandros Kavassilas, vice president for Nigeria and North Africa operations, and Hana Haddad, general manager for Egypt and Sudan. Sisi said he looked forward to the success of the upcoming World Cup, noting it would be the largest edition to date. He expressed his hope that the Egyptian national team would achieve positive results and reiterated his desire for Egypt to host the competition in the future. The 2026 World Cup is set to open on 11 June at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with a match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa.
