After the 3-2 defeat against Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan made one of the most talked-about statements of the day.
“FIFA doesn’t want Messi to be eliminated. If they want them to win so badly, why do they invite everyone to take part in the World Cup”, he declared into the microphones.
Despite the elimination, the coach said that his team had done enough to advance and delivered a line that did not go unnoticed: “No matter what happens, I tell the truth: we deserved to win”.
Hassan explained that Egypt was superior during several stretches of the match and regretted that small details ended up favoring the Argentine team. In addition, he defended his players’ performance and said he felt proud of them.