Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confronts fans over Israeli flag at World Cup
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Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan made matters worse as he watched his team complete one of the biggest collapses in World Cup history.
Egypt took a 2-0 lead but scored three goals in the last 20 minutes against Argentina to crash out in devastating fashion in the last 16.
Hassan, who openly supported Palestine throughout the World Cup, noticed two Argentine fans holding Israeli flags as he left the field.
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Egypt Head Coach Hossam Hassan reacts after the 3-2 defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Hassan and another coach appeared angry at the fans, pointing at them from the field and appearing to spit in their direction. Hassan then appeared before a photographer who captured the moment, while another coach dropped the F-bomb on the fans.
Hasan waved the Palestinian flag on the pitch after Egypt beat Australia in the Round of 32 at the weekend. After their victory in the penalty shootout, Hassan said he dedicated Egypt’s victory to the “good and noble” Egyptian and Palestinian people.
“My heart and soul are with them,” he said after the match. “I dedicate this victory to the Palestinians. May God grant them victory and have mercy on their martyrs.”
Hassan added earlier this week: “If there is anyone in the world who does not have feelings for the Palestinian people, then he is not human.”
Hossam Hassan (Egypt) during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 between Argentina and Egypt on July 7, 2026 at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, United States. (Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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In a video from last month’s Iran-New Zealand World Cup match at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, a man can be seen grabbing an Israeli flag while adjacent Palestinian flags remained in the stands. The man carrying the Israeli flag told Fox News Digital after the incident that he was told by security that “the FIFA president didn’t care about the Palestinian flag behind him” and that they only cared about my flag.
“They said they didn’t have a problem with their own flag, they just had a problem with ours,” he said, referring to double standards. “They didn’t get marching orders to pick up their own flag or anyone else’s flag. It was pretty embarrassing…
“They said they didn’t have a problem with their flag, they just had a problem with ours,” he added. “They didn’t have marching orders to pick up their own flag or anyone else’s flag. It was pretty embarrassing.”
Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Wu Zhizhao/VCG via Getty Images)
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FIFA rule 4.2.23 states that World Cup participants must use flags only in a “festive and friendly manner”. FIFA also bans “material” of a “political nature”. However, the Associated Press states that FIFA has said that the Palestinian flag is allowed to be displayed at the World Cup.
OutKick Jon Root contributed to this report.
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