Egypt coach Hossam Hassan breaks silence on Messi confrontation: ‘I was telling the referee he was unfair’

A week after Egypt’s spirited World Cup exit at the hands of Argentina, head coach Hossam Hassan has finally addressed the touchline confrontation that dominated post-match headlines – and he insists it was never about racism, but about a perceived injustice from the referee.

The incident occurred during the 70th minute of Argentina’s 2-1 round-of-16 victory over the Pharaohs in Miami, when Hassan made a gesture toward the match official that was widely misinterpreted on social media as targeting Messi. The Argentina captain immediately approached the Egyptian bench, visibly agitated, and engaged in a heated exchange with Hassan.

Speaking exclusively to beIN SPORTS on Wednesday – one week after the game – Hassan offered a detailed explanation that sheds new light on one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments.

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‘My gesture was directed at the referee – not Messi’

Hassan, a legendary former Egypt striker turned coach, began by clarifying the exact nature of his controversial hand gesture.

“I want to make this absolutely clear – my gesture had nothing to do with racism, nor with Messi personally,” Hassan said, his tone firm but measured. “I was simply telling the referee, with a motion of my hand, that he was not being fair. I felt we had been denied a clear penalty when our striker was pulled down inside the box moments earlier. My frustration was with the official, not with any player.”

The referee, Venezuelan Jesús Valenzuela, had waved play on despite replays showing a shirt tug on Egypt’s Mostafa Mohamed. The decision sparked fury on the Egyptian bench, and Hassan’s ensuing hand gesture – which some online commentators erroneously interpreted as a dismissive racial signal – went viral within minutes.

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Messi’s rare outburst

What followed was unusual by Messi’s standards. The 39-year-old, known for his cool demeanour, broke away from the play and walked toward the Egyptian technical area.

“Messi came over to me asking, ‘Why? Why?’” Hassan recalled. “He was clearly emotional. I don’t know what else he was saying – I only caught the repeated ‘Why?’ – but it was clear he felt offended by what he thought I had done. It was one of the rare occasions I have seen Messi argue during a game.”

The exchange lasted nearly 30 seconds, with assistant referees and security intervening to separate the two. Television cameras captured Messi turning away, his eyes red-rimmed, and later in the match he was seen wiping his face. By full-time, he had broken down in tears – not from anger, but from the emotional weight of a gruelling tie that Argentina only secured through a late Ángel Di María strike.

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‘We made things extremely difficult for them’

Hassan refused to engage further during the match, and he explained his silence.

“I chose not to respond to him out of respect for everything he has accomplished in football,” he said. “He is the greatest player I have ever seen – and I have played against some of the best. I did not want to escalate a misunderstanding into something bigger. If he had understood my gesture was aimed at the referee, I believe he would have walked away calmly.”

He also took pride in Egypt’s performance. The Pharaohs had taken a shock 1-0 lead through Mohamed Salah’s 15th-minute penalty, and they held Argentina at bay until the 58th minute, when Messi’s deflected free-kick equalised. Di María’s winner in the 82nd minute – a curling strike from the edge of the box – finally broke Egyptian resistance, but Hassan insists his side pushed the eventual champions to the limit.

“We made things extremely difficult for Argentina,” he said. “They are a team with five semi-final wins, never beaten in the last four – and we came within 10 minutes of taking them to extra time. That is no small achievement for a nation like Egypt. But the referee’s decision hurt us, and my reaction was born of that frustration – nothing more.”

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The aftermath

Messi’s tears after the final whistle were widely covered, with some speculating that the confrontation with Hassan had contributed to his emotional state. However, sources close to the Argentina camp later confirmed that Messi was simply overwhelmed by the intensity of the match and the knowledge that his team had scraped through against a determined opponent – not anger toward the Egyptian coach.

The Egyptian Football Association has since issued a statement fully backing Hassan, confirming that the gesture was misconstrued and that no disciplinary action would be taken. FIFA, meanwhile, reviewed the incident but took no action, accepting Hassan’s explanation.

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What’s next

Egypt head home after a creditable tournament that saw them finish second in their group behind Spain and then push Argentina to the brink. For Hassan, the focus now shifts to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, but he admits the World Cup experience – and his brief, bizarre encounter with the greatest of all time – will stay with him forever.

“I have watched Messi for 20 years,” he said. “To have him walk up to me, angry, emotional – it was surreal. But I have no ill feeling toward him. I hope he wins the final on Sunday. He deserves it. And I hope one day we can meet again, shake hands, and laugh about it.”

For now, the incident has been resolved. The truth, as Hassan insists, is far simpler than the rumours: a frustrated coach, a misunderstood gesture, and a legendary player who simply wanted an explanation. No racism. No malice. Just football.