Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of supporting Argentina to keep Messi in the World Cup
Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of supporting Argentina to keep Messi in the World Cup
Hossam Hassan, the head coach of the Egyptian national team, directly accused the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) after being eliminated from the World Cup with a 2-3 loss to Argentina, the defending champions, in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.
Hossam Hassan stated on beIN SPORTS: 'We were better, but what happened was unjust. FIFA's slogan is fair play and respect, but we were wronged by fatal and influential refereeing errors.'
He pointed out: 'The referee overlooked awarding us a penalty and disallowed a goal for an incomprehensible reason.'
Hossam Hassan spoke in a state of extreme anger over the way his team lost, saying: 'The loss was intentional. They want Argentina and Messi to continue in the World Cup for marketing reasons. If they want Argentina to win, why do they invite other teams to participate in the tournament?'
He continued: 'We faced the world champion, but the Argentine team seems to be supported for marketing considerations to ensure Messi and the defending champion remain in the World Cup.'
He stressed: 'I do not like losing by nature, especially when it is unjust. I apologize to our fans, and I say to them: I am sorry. We hoped to make you happy, and our goal was to reach a further stage. I tell them: Do not be sad.'
He added: 'We formed a team that honored Egypt in a short time, and my ambition does not stop. We want to continue our journey. We entered the depth of world football.'
Hossam Hassan concluded: 'We proved that we fear no one, even though most of our squad are players from the local league while we faced teams with a large number of professionals in Europe.'
Original source: Al-Riyadh
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