Egypt Coach: They Want Messi to Stay in the World Cup, We Deserved to Win

Coach Hossam Hassan Frustrated, Accuses Referees of Bias

Following a 2-3 defeat to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup round of 16, Coach Hossam Hassan did not hide his disappointment and made sharp comments about the match officiating.

The Egypt national team coach argued that his side deserved to win and accused Argentina of putting pressure on the referee even before the match began.

"We deserved to win. Argentina pressured the referee before the game because he is French. They created that atmosphere before the match, and we ended up suffering the consequences," Coach Hossam Hassan stated.

Hassan then referenced the situation leading to Enzo Fernández's goal, claiming Egypt should have been awarded a penalty inside Argentina's box, as well as the disallowed goal by Mostafa Ziko.

"We were denied a penalty. That incident wasn't even reviewed by VAR. Our second goal was also disallowed for some reason. Life is unfair. We played better and outperformed the champions in every aspect," Hossam Hassan asserted.

The Egypt coach continued: "I don't know, but they want to promote the tournament. They want the defending champion to stay. They want Messi to remain in the competition. I want to tell the Egyptian fans and Arab supporters that you can give your best, sacrifice everything, but there are other factors controlling things."

The Egyptian tactician concluded: "I hate losing, especially when it's as unfair as today. In football, beyond the technical aspects and what happens on the pitch, there are other things that determine the outcome of the match."