2026 World Cup: Why Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan Made ‘X’ Gesture During Loss to Argentina in R16
- Egypt coach Hossam Hassan made a controversial X gesture after his side lost 3-2 to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16
- Under FIFA rules, the 'X' gesture in football carries a specific meaning as Hassan made it after Argentina's goal
- Hassan received a yellow card before making an allegation that FIFA was favouring Argentina
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan stirred controversy during the Pharaohs' heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 7.
The nine-time AFCON winners looked on course for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after racing into a 2-0 lead through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico.
Source: Getty Images
However, the defending champions fought back in dramatic fashion as Cristian Romero pulled one back before Lionel Messi levelled the score four minutes later.
Enzo Fernandez completed Argentina's stunning comeback with a stoppage-time winner to send La Albiceleste into the quarter-finals.
Why Hossam Hassan made the 'X' gesture
The dramatic finish was overshadowed by an incident involving Egypt coach Hossam Hassan on the touchline.
Immediately after Fernandez's winner, the former Egypt striker angrily protested to the match officials, insisting Argentina had committed a foul in the build-up to the goal.
During his protest, Hassan crossed both arms to form an "X" sign before confronting the fourth official. The gesture carries a significant meaning under FIFA regulations.
The "X" signal is recognised as the official anti-racism gesture introduced by FIFA, allowing players, coaches and team officials to alert the referee to alleged racist abuse during a match.
Once the signal is acknowledged, referees can activate FIFA's three-step anti-discrimination protocol by first stopping play, then suspending the match if the abuse continues, and ultimately abandoning the game if the situation cannot be controlled.
However, none of those procedures were initiated during Egypt's clash with Argentina.
Source: Getty Images
Instead, the referee interpreted Hassan's actions as dissent and showed him a yellow card, with play continuing as normal.
The incident has since generated debate over whether Hassan intended to invoke FIFA's anti-racism protocol or simply used the gesture to express his frustration with the officiating, per Mirror US.
Speaking after the match, the Egypt boss did not hide his disappointment with the referee's performance. He said:
"Life is unfair. The world is unfair. Okay, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? I'm not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match," per Sky Sports.
Hassan's frustration is coming after Egypt surrendered a two-goal advantage and saw their hopes of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ended by the reigning champions.
CAF pays tribute to Egypt
Legit.ng earlier reported that despite the painful elimination, the Confederation of African Football paid tribute to Egypt's impressive World Cup campaign.
In a message shared on its official social media platforms, CAF praised the Pharaohs for their historic performances and thanked the team for representing African football with distinction throughout the tournament.
Source: Legit.ng
