World Cup 2026: Hossam Hassan vows to boycott remainder of tournament after Egypt’s controversial defeat to Argentina

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan says he will not watch another match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after accusing officials of treating his side unfairly during their dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16.

The Pharaohs looked on course for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after taking a 2-0 lead through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico. However, Argentina mounted a remarkable late comeback, with Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández all scoring in the final stages to send the defending champions into the quarter-finals.

The match was overshadowed by several controversial incidents, including a disallowed Egyptian goal after a VAR review and strong appeals for a penalty that were waved away, prompting furious protests from the Egyptian bench.

Speaking after the final whistle, an emotional Hassan said he would boycott the rest of the tournament in protest.

“It is my own way of speaking up and standing up. I am not going to watch a single match of this tournament.”

The Egypt coach also questioned the standard of officiating, insisting his team had been denied a fair opportunity to progress.

“Why isn’t there any fairness in sport? In football? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.”

Hassan suggested that the outcome had been influenced by factors beyond the players’ control.

“There were internal and external factors. The Egyptian Football Association had objected to the appointment of the French referee before the match.”

Television cameras captured the 59-year-old repeatedly confronting match officials after Argentina’s stoppage-time winner, while goalkeeping coach Saafan El-Sagheer was sent off during the heated touchline scenes. Hassan himself had to be restrained by members of his coaching staff.

The defeat brought an end to what had nevertheless been a historic campaign for Egypt. Under Hassan, the Pharaohs topped their group before defeating Australia on penalties to claim the nation’s first-ever World Cup knockout victory. They then came within minutes of eliminating the reigning world champions before Argentina’s dramatic late revival.

Despite the painful exit, Egypt leave the tournament having earned widespread praise for their performances. Mohamed Salah captained a side that produced one of the competition’s biggest surprises by pushing Lionel Messi’s Argentina to the brink, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir emerged as one of the standout performers after saving Messi’s first-half penalty and making a series of outstanding stops.