Gaza fans rally behind Egypt as World Cup run ends against Argentina

Palestinians gathered under a giant outdoor screen in Gaza City on July 7 to watch Egypt face Argentina in the World Cup round of 16, then watched Egypt fall 3-2 as Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals. Hundreds in the crowd waved Egyptian flags and stayed packed together despite the rubble and war-damaged buildings surrounding the viewing site.

The scene drew displaced families from across parts of the Gaza Strip, where power outages and destruction have made public screenings rare. War-weary spectators crowded around the screen among buildings hit by Israeli attacks, turning a football match into one of the few shared moments of relief left in daily life.

Similar gatherings had already taken place elsewhere in Gaza during the tournament, including in Nuseirat refugee camp and in central Gaza, where a brightly lit screen in the dark of a market held the attention of people living with frequent blackouts. During Egypt’s matches, hundreds of Palestinians also packed around TV screens in makeshift shelters across the enclave, treating the games as a brief interruption to displacement and ruin.

Egypt carried a political weight in Gaza beyond the football field. It shares a border with the enclave and has been one of the mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, making Egyptian victories especially resonant for many Gazans. Earlier in the tournament, Gaza fans had also gathered to watch Egypt play Belgium, and Egypt coach Hossam Hassan had dedicated Egypt’s knockout win over Australia to the people of Palestine.

For the spectators in Gaza City, the final score ended Egypt’s run, but the gathering itself showed how ordinary rituals survive even when streets are shattered and public life has been pushed into the open air.