UAE entrepreneur Khalaf Al Habtoor said he will gift each player on the Egypt team and their support staff a car for their stellar performance in the World Cup that “brought joy to the hearts of all Arabs”.
The Emirati billionaire said he wanted to celebrate the team’s achievements that extended beyond national boundaries and delighted millions of Arabs.
Mitsubishi cars would be gifted to each player in the Egypt World Cup team and technical, administrative and medical staff in appreciation of the team’s “honourable performance”, he said.
An Al Habtoor group spokesperson confirmed to The National that 59 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross SUVs would be gifted and were being readied to be shipped for delivery.
“Egypt's joy today is the joy of every Arab“, Mr Al Habtoor, founder and chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, wrote in a post on X.
“This gift is an expression of our love and appreciation for Egypt's heroes who have honoured their country, delighted their fans, and given every Arab a lesson in determination, perseverance, and fighting spirit.”
Celebrate the team
Egypt reached the Fifa World Cup round of 16 for the first time but were eliminated by Argentina in an emotionally charged 3-2 defeat.
Mr Al Habtoor described the team as heroes who showed fighting spirit and were striking examples of determination and perseverance for every Arab. He said the team’s achievements needed widespread praise and it was the duty of all to celebrate Arabs who made the region proud in international arenas.
The plan to gift cars to the World Cup squad has been communicated to the Egyptian Football Association.
Mr Al Habtoor said he was presenting the cars to the support staff to recognise their effort and because he believed that success was the result of collective work.
“You have proven that faith, working with team spirit, and fighting until the final whistle are values that create achievements,” he said.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, paid tribute to the team after their World Cup journey ended in heartbreak.
Sheikh Mohammed spoke of the Egyptian spirit. “Egypt’s Pharaohs fought against the world champion until the very last minute,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X. “We are proud of their Egyptian spirit and we thank them and the world thanks them.”
The team received a hero’s welcome when they returned home on Friday.
The players travelled in an open double-decker bus and waved to thousands of fans who waved flags and chanted their names.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has awarded the players and technical and administrative staff with the Order of Merit in recognition of their performance at the World Cup.
