Egypt arrests 10 over damage to fan zone seats in New Capital after World Cup win

CAIRO – 25 June 2026: Authorities on Thursday said they arrested 10 people accused of vandalizing seats at the New Capital’s fan zone during celebrations of Egypt's victory over New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup.

The Ministry of Interior said the suspects confessed to carrying out the acts during celebrations following the national team's victory.

The incident occurred after Egypt defeated New Zealand 3-1 early on Monday, securing the country's first-ever World Cup win.

Videos shared online showed people waving and throwing beanbag seats around the venue after the match ended, sparking widespread criticism on social media.

Two days after the incident, the Administrative Capital for Urban Development company announced suspending operations at the fan zone for 48 hours, saying it will not receive visitors during Egypt's next World Cup match against Iran on Saturday.

The company attributed the closure to technical reviews showing that the quality of broadcasts on the giant screen during the upcoming match, set to kick off at 6 AM Cairo time, would fall short of the viewing experience provided during previous games.