Egypt coach lashes out at Argentina and Lionel Messi: “Very provocative”

On Jul 12, 2026

Argentina’s dramatic World Cup Round of 16 comeback against Egypt continues to generate controversy. After watching a 2-0 lead disappear, the Egyptians voiced fresh complaints about the officiating and accused Lionel Messi of deliberately provoking tensions after the final whistle.

The heated finish saw multiple confrontations break out following Argentina’s third goal, with members of Egypt’s coaching staff clashing with players from Lionel Scaloni’s squad. Speaking to Egyptian outlet Kora Plus, brothers Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan, Egypt’s head coach and assistant coach, didn’t hold back in their assessment of the chaotic ending.

🚨Full interview of Egypt’s Coach Hossam Hassan at full-time:

“I will say what’s on my mind regardless of the consequence, this was clearly a rigged match and the whole world saw it”

“And I want to say one more thing, if they want Argentina to win so bad, why call everyone to…

— Danis (@DanisMCFC) July 7, 2026

Egypt staff accuse Messi of provoking confrontation

Asked about footage showing Messi approaching Egypt’s bench after the match, assistant coach Ibrahim Hassan claimed the Argentina captain intentionally tried to escalate the situation.

“He’s very provocative. Very provocative,” Hassan said. “He came over like he wanted to set everything on fire, like he wanted to provoke you. They came toward us… There was even a red card. He came with the intention of provoking us.”

The comments add another layer to the fallout from one of the most dramatic matches of the World Cup knockout stage.

Egypt coach blames referee for turning the match

Head coach Hossam Hassan was also asked what he would have done differently if he had the chance to replay the closing stages after Egypt took a 2-0 lead.

Rather than second-guessing his tactical decisions, Hassan pointed to the officiating.

“There are things beyond our control,” he said. “The referee completely changed the game. Everything became chaotic. There were constant arguments with the players, yellow cards, and decisions that went against us.”

Despite the heartbreaking collapse, Hassan defended the changes he made as Argentina mounted its comeback.

“I reinforced the defense, closed down the spaces, and switched to three center backs. In the end, thank God, I’m satisfied with what we did,” he added.