Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has again used his platform at the World Cup to voice support for the Palestinian people, speaking ahead of his side’s round of 16 clash with Argentina in Atlanta on 7 July.
Hassan, Egypt’s all time top scorer with 60 goals, draped a Palestinian flag around himself while celebrating his side’s round of 32 win over Australia last week, the country’s first ever World Cup knockout victory. Asked in his pre match press conference to describe his emotions in that moment, and whether he would repeat the gesture should Egypt cause a shock against the defending champions, Hassan gave an extended response that drew applause from journalists present at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
“If a person anywhere in the world does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they have lost part of their humanity,” he said. “What came out of me was simply a human reaction. Before being Arab, Muslim, Christian or anything else, I am a human being. Through football, the world’s soft power, I want to send a message: please let the Palestinian people live. I ask athletes and journalists everywhere to help deliver that message. When people speak about human rights, animal rights, and justice, we should also speak about Palestinian civilians.”
Hassan paused briefly during his answer to thank journalists for their applause before continuing his remarks. “I would like to say this is a shame on us,” he added. “A shame on the entire world, not just the Arab world, a shame on everyone and a shame on first of all, decision makers who leave human beings behind.”
The coach had already dedicated Egypt’s win over Australia to the Palestinian people, with footage circulated by Al Jazeera appearing to show celebrations in Gaza in response to the result, including people waving Egyptian flags.
The Palestinian flag has been a visible presence at World Cup matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada this year, echoing scenes from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, particularly at games involving nations with majority Muslim populations such as Egypt. There had been some suggestion Hassan could face sanction from FIFA, given Article 28 of the tournament’s regulations prohibits the display of political symbols. However, FIFA’s position is understood to treat the flags of official member associations differently from politically coded symbols, meaning the Palestinian flag, as the recognised flag of a FIFA member association, would only be removed from fans if judged to pose a serious security risk, unlike symbols such as the pre revolutionary Iranian flag, which FIFA has banned outright.
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