When 120 Million Hearts Beat as One

Few events can make millions of strangers feel the same emotion at exactly the same moment. Thats what makes the FIFA world cup special. This years tournament reminded us why. From discovering and falling in love with underdogs to witnessing social media erupt with anger and (not-so-conspiracy) theories overnight, this year was full of one-of-a-kind moments we know we’ll never forget.

As I watched the tournament unfold, I stopped to notice how deeply we cared about countries we barely knew existed. We rowed with the Norwegian vikings, proudly cried for the Cabo Verde players, stared in disbelief when Germany lost to Paraguay and screamed our lungs out for Morocco until their very last second. That said, nothing could ever come close to what we went through watching our Egyptian team climb their way to the Round of 16. We walked into our first match against Belgium almost certain that we would lose. To go from hoping our inevitable exit from the tournament isn’t too embarrassing, to genuinely believing we are capable of beating the reigning world champions is something I’m sure none of us saw coming.

Egypt makes it to their first ever knockout stage, where they play the most nerve-wracking 120 minute match, beating the Australian team 4-2 on penalties. Following this historic achievement, the streets of Egypt flood with celebrations. Car horns, the iconic Egyptian zaghrouta and the lyrics of the inescapable ‘يا مصر بتعمليها ازاي’ echo through the streets, as men, women, and children from every province, living in Egypt and abroad all celebrated together.

Coming off of this high, we walk into our match against the current World Cup champions, Argentina, with one thought in mind: مش يمكن؟ But 15 minutes in, we score our first goal, and what was once just wishful thinking, slowly becomes a possibility. The first half ends and Argentina has failed to land a ball in our net. The second half begins and against all odds we score what some call the most beautiful goal of the tournament. In that moment, millions of Egyptian fans spring to their feet. Strangers embrace, flags wave in unison, and tears of joy fall as we celebrate what we believe is our second goal. For a fleeting moment, it feels as though all Egyptians share a single heartbeat, only for it to break when the goal is disallowed a few moments later. Then, against all odds, it happens again. Egypt scores.

Another single heartbeat.

With only 10 minutes left, and a 2-0 lead, our collective dream is within reach, and we all believe we have done it; but what happens next is a heartbreaking finale. An extremely aggressive opponent, and a series of controversial refereeing decisions lead to our defeat. 3 goals in 10 minutes.

What follows is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. Shoulders drop, eyes water, and the streets that were once full of color and noise are now empty and quiet. One day passes, then another and another and still most of us aren’t able to forget and move on. Social media replays moments from the match and almost every conversation finds its way back to the referee’s decisions, the disallowed goal, and the last 10 minutes. The discussions I have in the week that followed end in the same way: “This is about more than football“

So what is it about? How could a 90 minute football match leave an entire nation emotionally paralyzed for weeks? 

Grab a stool while I look for answers.