Hey there,

Sorry we are a little late today. We’re still buzzing from Monday’s match, when Egypt held Belgium to a 1–1 draw in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup. Across social media, Egyptians are daring to dream bigger than ever before. The ultimate prize may still seem out of reach, but football has a way of producing the unexpected.

Africa’s Cape Verde also made headlines in their World Cup debut, earning an impressive draw against a surprisingly sluggish Spain. While some nations have failed to live up to expectations so far, the tournament has already shown that predictions mean very little once the whistle blows. And perhaps this will be the year when new nations finally announce themselves on football’s biggest stage.

We hope you're having a fantastic World Cup experience!

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For Egyptian-Australian boxer Mai Soliman, her Super Flyweight world title bout against Japanese champion Mizuki Hiruta at the Pyramids of Giza was not defined by the final result. Rather than dwelling on defeat, Soliman drew inspiration from the experience, using it as fuel to aim higher and keep moving forward on her journey.

Beyond the historic milestone of becoming the first Egyptian-Australian woman to challenge for a world title at the Pyramids and the hard-earned prestige of her international championship titles, Soliman has come to realize that a boxer’s real strength is not defined solely by the ropes of the ring, but by how they keep pushing forward.

“I don’t want anyone to think that women’s boxing is about being aggressive or that you need to look like a tomboy,” Mai Soliman says. “You can still dress well and be feminine. That’s what I am outside of boxing.”

Read the article here.

Transcending borders, languages, religions, and cultures, the World Cup is often celebrated as a rare global spectacle capable of bringing diverse peoples into a shared emotional experience. Hundreds of millions tune in to watch, investing their hopes, identities, and histories in ninety minutes of play. In this sense, football is more than a sport; it is a cultural arena through which questions of belonging, nationhood, and collective identity are negotiated and performed.

While the tournament is frequently framed as a symbol of unity, it unfolds against a backdrop of enduring inequalities, nationalist sentiment, and racial prejudice. Incidents of racism directed at players and supporters expose the limits of the inclusive vision that football often promises, reminding us that the boundaries separating “us” from “them” do not disappear simply because they are temporarily gathered within a global sporting event.

Read the article here.

I Think Therefore I Play is the autobiography of Andrea Pirlo, written with journalist Alessandro Alciato. It tells the story of Pirlo’s career through a mix of reflection, humour, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his time at clubs like AC Milan and Juventus, as well as the Italian national team.

A key feature of the book is how it humanises football at the highest level. You don’t just get tactics or match reports, you get odd, funny, and sometimes absurd moments, like teammates joking around, managers behaving unpredictably, and the emotional weight behind both victories and defeats.

Read more here.

If you think you know the story of Mohamed Salah, this podcast is well worth a listen. It goes beyond the goals, trophies, and headlines to explore the journey that made him who he is today, from his humble beginnings in Nagrig to the long microbus trips he took as a teenager travelling to training in Cairo, chasing a dream that seemed impossibly far away. It's a fascinating look at the determination, sacrifices, and community that helped shape one of football's biggest stars.

Listen here.

Exploring a different kind of masculinity and fatherhood in Egypt, this film follows a widowed father who struggles to tell his teenage daughter that she has reached the age where she needs to start wearing a bra. It is a compassionate portrait of modern fatherhood, showing that being a good parent is not about always knowing the right thing to say, it's about continuing to try, even when the words don't come easily.

Watch it here.

Sense Specialty Coffee has found a way to blur the line between dessert and café culture with its latest summer creation: a cup that combines creamy soft serve with the earthy richness of matcha. Instead of treating matcha as just another drink on the menu, the café is turning it into a dessert experience, pouring it over ice cream for a refreshing twist that feels perfectly suited to Cairo's heat.

Find out more here.

Osiris ballet takes a well-known ancient Egyptian story and brings it to life on stage in a way that feels both powerful and surprisingly emotional, even if you’re not usually a ballet fan. The music, the movement, and the staging all come together to create this atmosphere that pulls you in from the first moment.

Find out more here.

Saudi Arabia’s newest airline, Riyadh Air, has taken a new step toward launching commercial operations by introducing its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and opening bookings for five international and regional destinations. The carrier has confirmed flights to Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah, Madrid, and Manchester, with services scheduled to begin gradually from mid-June. The launch follows the arrival of the airline’s third Boeing 787-9 aircraft, further expanding its growing fleet.

Read more here.