The underlying anger had been building since the 59th minute of the match when Egypt’s 2nd goal was ruled out by VAR intervention
Published: July 8, 2026, 4:51 PM IST
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Hossam Hassan (L), head coach of Egypt, attends a press conference ahead of the round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta. Lionel Messi (R) of Argentina reacts during the round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta. (Credits: IANS)
Tensions boiled over during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash in Atlanta between the reigning champions Argentina and Egypt as Lionel Messi was involved in a heated verbal exchange with the Egyptian Pharaoh’s head coach Hossam Hassan and his backroom staff.
The trouble started near the touchline towards the closing stages of the match. Emotions were running incredibly high and a heated argument erupted between the Argentine captain and the Egyptian bench. The confrontation quickly escalated into shouting, forcing match officials and several Egypt players to jump in to separate the two sides before things got physical.
The referee ultimately had to crack down on the chaos, showing a red card to a prominent member of Egypt’s support staff to regain control. The dramatic touchline scenes perfectly reflected the boiling frustration within the Egyptian dugout as their dreams of a historic FIFA World Cup upset slowly diminished right in front of them.
What triggered the anger of Egypt’s head coach?
The underlying anger had been building since the 59th minute of the match. Egypt, already leading 1-0 through Yasser Ibrahim, believed they had doubled their advantage when Mostafa Zico finished off a brilliant counter-attack.
However, the referee was called to the monitor for a VAR review. The video replay showed that Marwan Attia had committed a foul on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez at the other end of the pitch right before the break began.
The referee subsequently disallowed the goal and it sparked massive protests from the Egyptian coaching staff. Although Zico did manage to score a 2nd goal in the 67th minute to briefly make it 2-0, the tension from that controversial VAR intervention left the Egyptian camp in complete anger for the remainder of the contest.
Watch the video
🇦🇷🇪🇬 Messi turned to Egypt coach Hossam Hassan mid-drama.
He asked him straight: “What’s wrong with you?”
And then chaos exploded.
Writer: Solpic.twitter.com/A8jKkfFh9L https://t.co/5taUs3HQc9
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 8, 2026
How Argentina turned the tables around against Egypt?
Argentina launched a stunning 2nd half fightback in the final eleven minutes of regulation time after going 2-0 down.
The comeback spark came in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero rose highest to head home a perfectly placed free-kick from Messi. Just 4 minutes later, Messi took center stage himself as he made amends for an earlier 1st half penalty miss by scoring through a powerful strike from the box to level the scores at 2-2.
With Egypt completely rattled, Argentina pushed for the winner in stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Enzo Fernandez connected with a cross from the right flank, guiding a dramatic header into the top corner. This brilliant turnaround helped La Albiceleste confirm their ticket to the quarter-finals for the 6th time in a row.
The reigning champions will be taking on Switzerland in the last 8 round on Sunday, July 12 from 6:30AM (IST) onwards.
