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

Egypt's football head coach Hossam Hassan is at the centre of a raging debate following his team's defeat against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup. From waving the Palestinian flag and flashing FIFA's anti-racism X sign to allegedly spitting at fans waving an Israeli flag, his actions have earned him both praise and derision.

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.

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.

Neither Hassan nor FIFA has clarified what prompted the gesture. Assistant coach Ibrahim Hassan quickly intervened before referee Francois Letexier booked Hossam, his twin brother.

The drama continued after the final whistle. As Hossam Hassan headed towards the tunnel, an Argentina supporter was seen waving an Israeli flag from the stand. Videos circulating online show him exchanging words with fans and appearing to spit in their direction before being ushered away.

WE WERE TREATED UNFAIRLY, CLAIMS HOSSAM HASSAN

Head coach Hassan maintained his criticism after the match, suggesting Egypt had been denied a fair contest.

"I'm not convinced with this outcome. I'm not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match," Hassan said during the post-match press conference, adding that "We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice."

The Egypt coach argued that his side had matched—and even outplayed—the reigning world champions for large stretches of the game.

"We looked better compared to the reigning champions. We were better in everything, but the result, the outcome, was influenced by internal factors on the pitch, inside the game, and external factors ahead of the game," he said.

EGYPTIAN HEAD COACH'S ACTIONS DIVIDE OPINIONS

Hassan's actions during Egypt's matches against Australia and Argentina have sharply divided opinion. Supporters praised his passionate defence of his team and outspoken support for the Palestinian cause, while critics accused him of politicising football and refusing to accept defeat.

After Egypt's victory over Australia on July 3, Hassan unfurled a large Palestinian flag on the pitch and dedicated the win to the Palestinian people. UAE-based newspaper The National reported that residents in Gaza later displayed a giant banner bearing his image among bomb-damaged buildings in tribute.

However, things ended differently for Egypt's team and Hassan on July 7 against Argentina.

"I'm so glad Argentina came back and beat Egypt today, after their POS head coach waived a Palestinian flag around the field following their victory over Australia a few days ago! Karma is a beautiful thing to behold," wrote MAGA influencer Vince Langman on X.

Following the defeat to Argentina, Hassan again invoked Gaza at a post-match press conference. "Children wearing Argentina, Barcelona, Messi and Real Madrid shirts grow up loving football and its stars, yet they are being killed while the world remains silent," Hassan said, according to the Palestinian news agency Quds News Network.

Not everyone was impressed. Egyptian author Dalia Ziada argued on X that Egypt's sporting achievements were being co-opted for broader Arab political narratives rather than celebrated as Egyptian successes.

"Again and again, major national achievements and public events (presidential conferences, sports, art, film festivals, whatever it is) are reframed to fit into causes beyond Egypt itself, in a desperate attempt to retrieve Egypt's historical regional role as the big sister of Arabs," Ziada noted on X.

Others criticised what they saw as inconsistencies in Egypt's and Hassan's stance. Israeli AI researcher and entrepreneur Eli David wrote on X that Egypt had "built a 7-layered wall on its border with Gaza to make sure not a single Palestinian refugee crosses into Egypt."

Hassan's conduct after the Argentina defeat also drew mixed reactions. Palestinian journalist Basem Alhabel described Hassan's apparent spitting towards fans waving Israeli flags as "the greatest spit in history."

In contrast, televangelist Rachid Hammami, better known as Brother Rachid, mocked the Egypt coach on X, stating, "He never takes responsibility for his own mistakes and always looks for someone else to blame."

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