How Much Egypt Will Earn After Dramatic Exit From World Cup vs Argentina
- Argentina eliminated Egypt in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 7
- The seven-time AFCON winners led 2-0 till the 78th minute before La Albiceleste staged a comeback
- Despite the heartbreaking exit, the Pharaohs will collect a huge amount of prize money from FIFA
- Nigerian sports journalist, Aderonke Ojo believes the funds will help Egypt strengthen their league
Egypt suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, July 7.
The seven-time AFCON winners stunned the South Americans by racing into a 2-0 lead. Defender Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 15th minute before Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt's advantage in the 67th minute.
Argentina responded in dramatic fashion. Cristian Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute before captain Lionel Messi redeemed himself for an earlier penalty miss by scoring the equaliser four minutes later, per FIFA.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez completed the remarkable comeback in stoppage time, firing home the winner to seal a 3-2 victory and book Argentina's place in the quarter-finals, per ESPN.
Egypt reached the knockout stage after an impressive group campaign, drawing with Belgium, defeating New Zealand and holding Iran before edging Australia on penalties in the Round of 32.
How much will Egypt receive after Round of 16 exit?
Despite their painful elimination, Egypt will return home with a significant financial reward from FIFA.
Under FIFA's approved prize-money structure for the 2026 World Cup, every participating nation received $2.5 million for tournament preparations and $10 million for qualifying for the finals.
Teams that progressed to the Round of 16 were awarded an additional $15 million.
As a result, Egypt will earn a total of $27.5 million (approximately ₦42 billion) from their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egyptian league will grow - Ojo
Nigerian sports journalist Aderonke Ojo believes the prize money Egypt earned from the 2026 FIFA World Cup will play a significant role in the development of the country's domestic league.
Speaking in an exclusive comment with Legit.ng, described the Egyptian Premier League as one of the strongest and most competitive leagues in Africa.
Source: Getty Images
She noted that the national team relied heavily on home-based players throughout the tournament. She said:
"If you look critically at the Egypt squad, you'll discover that a large number of the players came from the Egyptian league.
"All three goalkeepers at the World Cup were home-based, while the only department dominated by players based abroad was the attack.
"I strongly believe the funds Egypt will receive from FIFA for their World Cup participation will further improve the league's development.
"With proper investment in infrastructure, youth development and club administration, the Egyptian league can continue closing the gap on Europe's top competitions such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1."
CAF pays tribute to Egypt
Legit.ng earlier reported that despite the painful elimination, the Confederation of African Football paid tribute to Egypt's impressive World Cup campaign.
In a message shared on its official social media platforms, CAF praised the Pharaohs for their historic performances and thanked the team for representing African football with distinction throughout the tournament.
Source: Legit.ng
