The World Cup and Other Important Matters!

It is not easy to set aside the major questions raised by what has come to be known as the Fourth Gulf War, especially now that the conflict has entered a phase characterized by draft agreements, memoranda of understanding, electronic signatures, and diplomatic meetings in Switzerland aimed at formalizing a temporary sixty-day arrangement.

At the same time, it is equally difficult for the world to ignore the spectacle of the FIFA World Cup, being held for the first time across three countries not traditionally associated with footballing excellence, and featuring forty-eight national teams, many of which have arrived primarily to make their presence felt on the global stage.

Wars and football tournaments are both arenas of competition, yet there is a growing consensus among observers and analysts that the defining feature of our current era is uncertainty. Some would even argue that winning the World Cup has become a more compelling priority than becoming entangled in a war that offers neither direct interest nor tangible benefit.

For our generation, these questions are inseparable from the long history of conflict in the Middle East and from a persistent longing for a meaningful victory—one capable of breaking the familiar cycle of early exits and unfulfilled hopes. Veteran sports commentator Yasser Ayyoub warned forcefully against what he called the “Dutch curse.” Egypt’s memorable draw against the Netherlands once inspired tremendous optimism, only for that euphoria to end in disappointment after a subsequent draw and defeat led to elimination.

Yet even amid football calculations and tournament predictions, one cannot entirely escape the region’s persistent crises. Some moments of tension recede temporarily, only to return with greater intensity later. The Lebanese front remains unresolved, for example, and no one can confidently predict how Israel might respond at a time when it perceives itself as being sidelined by President Donald Trump regarding negotiations that touch directly on its national security and the foundations of its alliance with the United States.

Uncertainty extends naturally into football itself. No one can accurately forecast the success of the 2026 World Cup or identify the eventual champion. Nevertheless, there has been considerable excitement surrounding the strong Arab presence in the tournament. Four Arab teams—Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco—opened their campaigns with draws, each earning a point while leaving the possibilities of victory and defeat wide open.

I was still a young man when Egypt qualified for the 1990 World Cup after a fifty-six-year absence. What struck me at the time was how many commentators and analysts spoke primarily about achieving an “honorable performance.” I found myself siding instead with the supporters who asked a different question: Why not win the World Cup?

Perhaps that perspective underestimated the broader context. The region’s numerous wars had exacted a heavy price. Even when peace eventually arrived, it was accompanied by profound political turmoil, including the assassination of the leader who had possessed both the courage to wage a successful war and the vision to pursue peace and economic openness afterward.

In any case, twenty-eight years passed before Egypt returned to the World Cup in Russia. On that occasion, there were no honorable draws—only three defeats. Popular folklore blamed the outcome on the fact that players were unable to sleep because of the nationwide celebrations that followed qualification.

This time, Egypt has returned after only eight years, a development many view as one indicator of the country’s broader progress. At the time of writing, and despite warnings about the so-called Dutch curse, there remains hope for a different outcome. Yet nothing is guaranteed, especially given the region’s difficult circumstances, ongoing divisions among Arab states, internal Palestinian fragmentation, and continuing debates within Egypt regarding national priorities. Economists, for example, have questioned ambitious infrastructure projects such as the monorail through the lens of what they call the “jurisprudence of priorities.”

What matters most, however, is that Egyptians are hungry for victory—even if it comes in a single match. Reaching the next round would be welcomed as a blessing in itself.

Yet results alone do not capture the significance of football. In Egypt, major sporting events often serve as powerful expressions of national identity. Over decades of observation, it has become clear that the current era—and this World Cup in particular—has generated a level of enthusiasm, symbolism, humor, and patriotic expression rarely seen before.

Indeed, this may represent one of the most important purposes of sport in general and the World Cup in particular. Anyone observing the eight Arab nations participating in this global event can identify countless examples of identity being reaffirmed—not only national identity but also a broader sense of Arab belonging.

Television networks and radio stations that once devoted much of their attention to war, resistance movements, and the political theatrics of President Trump have temporarily shifted their focus. Instead, they celebrate the eight teams that traveled across the Atlantic carrying the hopes of millions and seeking to restore Arab pride through success on football’s grandest stage.

An equally noteworthy observation is that none of the participating Arab countries is currently engulfed in civil war or controlled by militias. Even in Iraq, there is a growing sense that the country is moving toward overcoming such challenges. Across the region, there exists, to varying degrees, a national project centered on reconstruction, development, and progress.

This raises an important question: Is it precisely this commitment to nation-building that has enabled these countries to reach the World Cup and aspire to greater achievements?

Perhaps the World Cup itself serves as a catalyst for national unity, a reinforcement of collective identity, and a platform through which societies reveal their best qualities. In that sense, football becomes more than a game. It becomes a measure of how far nations have progressed and an indicator of whether their national projects remain healthy, cohesive, and capable of carrying them confidently onto the global stage.

In an age marked by uncertainty, that may be the victory that matters most.