Hossam Hassan claims Lionel Messi ‘ended up crying’ after Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 win vs Egypt
Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan claimed that Lionel Messi failed to control his emotions and “ended up crying” after Argentina’s comeback victory over the Pharaohs in the World Cup Round of 16 on July 6.
The African giants took a two-goal lead in the match, courtesy of strikes from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko. However, La Albiceleste scored three times in 15 minutes to snatch a remarkable comeback victory.
Hassan claimed that, after the match, he had an emotional exchange with Messi. The Argentine skipper reportedly ended up in tears after the final whistle. The heated conversation reportedly led to a member of the Egyptian coaching staff charging towards Messi, receiving a red card in the process.
“Messi came up to me and kept asking, ‘Why? Why?’ I don’t know what else he said,” Hassan said. “It was one of the few times I’ve seen Messi get into an argument during a match. He ended up crying because he was struggling emotionally.”
“We made life very difficult for Argentina. I chose not to respond to him out of respect for everything he has achieved in his career.”
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The clash between Argentina and Egypt was a hot-tempered one. After the match, both Hassan and goalscorer Ziko claimed that the refereeing decisions were biased towards the defending champions. Egypt’s Football Association later lodged a complaint with FIFA regarding referee Francois Letexier’s conduct.
The flashpoint in the fixture came when Hassan was seen crossing his forearms in an ‘X’ gesture towards the referee. The head coach was shown a yellow card. The gesture resembled FIFA’s “No Racism” signal, which players and staff are advised to use to report incidents of racism they witness during a match.
However, Hassan claimed that his outburst was not due to any racist abuse, but was instead meant to be a protest against the referee’s perceived bias.
“The gesture wasn’t about racism. I was telling the referee, ‘You’re not being fair,’” Hassan said.
Egypt’s complaints led to FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina defending the match officials. Meanwhile, Hassan could face further sanctions for misusing the ‘X’ gesture, with The Athletic reporting that the global football governing body plans to review potential disciplinary cases after the conclusion of the tournament on July 19.
What did Hossam Hassan say about Lionel Messi in FIFA World Cup 2026?
Hassan claimed that Messi cried after Argentina’s 3‑2 comeback win over Egypt on July 6, 2026, in the Round of 16 at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.