Egypt’s Hossam Hassan has used his team’s World Cup campaign to speak as much about Palestine as football, and after the defeat to Argentina he did so again.
The Egypt coach, already emotional after a match he believed had been shaped by injustice, turned the press conference away from refereeing and tactics and back toward Gaza, a cause he has repeatedly brought into the tournament’s conversation.
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“If there is anyone in the world who does not feel the pain of the Palestinian people, they are not human,” Hassan said. It was not the first time he had made Palestine visible at this World Cup.
Hassan, Egypt’s top scorer with 60 goals, draped a Palestinian flag when celebrating his team’s round-of-32 win over Australia in Dallas.
Hossam Hassan with the Palestinian flag after Egypt’s victory over Australia. | Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP
His words come against the backdrop of a war that has devastated Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, many displaced and living amid ruins, continue to face profound uncertainty.
Palestinian health authorities say Israel’s military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since the war began. Those figures, though, are disputed by Israel.
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Hassan said children in Gaza grow up wearing Messi, Argentina, Real Madrid and Barcelona shirts even as they live through war.
“A lot of those listening to me did not necessarily feel the same, feel empathy for people dying. For children being killed. Children dying in a country where they wear Messi, Argentina jersey, jerseys of Real Madrid and Barcelona. I urge you to let the Palestine people live.”
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Published on Jul 08, 2026