Egypt coach Hossam Hassan launched a furious attack on FIFA and match officials after his team’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Hassan did not hold back in his post-match press conference, accusing the match of being rigged and claiming that the tournament is being manipulated to keep Lionel Messi in the competition for marketing and commercial reasons.
“I’ll say what I think regardless of the consequences. This was a rigged match and everyone saw it. And I want to say one more thing — if they want Argentina to win so badly, why do they call everyone to come and participate? Everything is a matter of marketing and money. They want Messi to be world champion, to keep him in the running in the tournament. In football, many things are decided off the field, based on interests. What happened is unfair… Egypt deserved its qualification. We were superior to Argentina. I dare say that the person who plans these matches has never played football in their life. Because no match is played at this hour. At midday, people go out for a walk or have brunch, they don’t play a football match. There are too many elements open to discussion. I promise you I won’t watch World Cup matches again. This is my way of resisting this situation.”
What Happened on the Pitch
Egypt had taken a commanding 2-0 lead against the defending champions before Argentina mounted a dramatic comeback. Goals from Cristian Romero (assisted by Messi), Messi himself, and a stoppage-time winner from Enzo Fernández saw Argentina advance to the quarterfinals.
Egypt had a goal disallowed by VAR, and several refereeing decisions were heavily criticized by the Egyptian bench. Coach Hassan was also booked during the match.
Growing Controversy
Hassan’s explosive comments have added fuel to an already controversial World Cup, with accusations of favoritism toward big teams and commercial interests surfacing once again.
While some have dismissed his remarks as the frustration of a losing coach, others are questioning the scheduling of matches and the consistency of VAR decisions throughout the tournament.
Argentina will now prepare for their quarter-final, while Egypt’s campaign ends amid allegations of unfair treatment.
