Spit, spat and an Why Egypt coach Hossam Hassan is being celebrated and dissed

Published 8 July 2026 · sports

Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian football team's head coach, who had earlier drawn attention by waving the Palestinian flag after his side thrashed Australia to reach

Hossam Hassan, the Egyptian football team's head coach, who had earlier drawn attention by waving the Palestinian flag after his side thrashed Australia to reach the Round of 16, found himself at the centre of another controversy on Tuesday following Egypt's dramatic exit from the FIFA World Cup. From heated exchanges on the touchline to an anti-racism gesture and an apparent spitting incident involving rival fans with an Israeli flag, Hassan's conduct has sharply divided opinion, with some praising his defiance and others condemning his actions. Read Full Story The match, which saw Argentina snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, was punctuated by repeated confrontations between Egyptian players, Hassan and the match officials, as the Pharaohs protested a series of refereeing decisions they believed had gone against them. During one exchange, Hassan raised his arms in an X gesture—FIFA's official anti-racism signal—apparently attempting to alert referee Francois Letexier to alleged abuse or discriminatory behaviour, only to be rewarded with a yellow card. As Hassan made his way towards the dressing room after the final whistle, Argentina supporters waved an Israeli flag from the stands. Videos circulating online show the Egypt coach becoming visibly agitated, exchanging words with the fans and appearing to spit in their direction before being escorted away. Now, Hassan's actions—both after Egypt's victory over Australia and following its heartbreaking defeat to Argentina—have made him a deeply polarising figure. Supporters have hailed him for his outspoken backing of the Palestinian cause and his passionate defence of his team, while critics have dismissed him as a sore loser, accusing him of refusing to accept defeat by insinuating that the match had been influenced by biased officiating or was somehow "rigged." In a post-match press conference, Hassan spoke about the situation in Gaza and castigated players who didn't stand up for the Palestinian cause, according to reports.

FROM EGYPT'S 2-0 LEAD AGAINST ARGENTINA TO WORLD CUP HEARTBREAK Egypt's run to the Round of 16 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup marked one of the nation's strongest performances in the tournament's history, matching their previous best of reaching the Round of 16 in 1934. In Group G, Egypt drew with Belgium (1-1) and Iran (1-1), while securing a convincing 3-1 victory over New Zealand. They advanced as runners-up on goal difference behind Belgium and went on to defeat Australia in the Round of 32 via penalties (after a 1-1 draw). On Tuesday, the Pharaohs looked set to orchestrate one of the tournament's biggest upsets after taking a two-goal lead against Argentina in the first half, which also saw Lionel Messi miss an early penalty. Argentina, however, mounted a dramatic comeback in the closing stages. Cristian Romero headed in a goal in the 79th minute, Messi equalised in the 83rd minute, and Enzo Fernndez scored the winner with a header in the second minute of stoppage time, securing a 3-2 victory for the Gauchos. This late turnaround ended Egypt’s impressive campaign, and saw Argentina advance to the quarterfinals. HOSSAM HASSAN'S X GESTURE AND CONFRONTATION WITH ISRAEL FLAG-WAVING FAN As Argentina rallied from 2-0 down, frustration boiled over in the Egyptian camp. Tensions first flared after Mostafa Zico's goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martnez in the build-up. Egypt also protested what it believed was a foul before Lionel Messi's equaliser and appealed unsuccessfully for a late penalty. In stoppage time, a goal by Enzo Fernndez, which took the Argentinians ahead of the Pharaohs, was disputed by the Egyptian team. There was a kerfuffle, and head coach Hossam Hassan crossed his forearms to form an X gesture—FIFA's official anti-racism signal. It is meant to trigger FIFA’s three-step anti-racism protocol, which can result in entire matches being abandoned.