Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan sparked controversy by alleging racism following a disallowed goal in their Round of 16 defeat to Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The incident occurred after referee François Letexier overturned an Egypt goal following a VAR review, citing an incident around 20 seconds before the goal.

Hassan used FIFA's anti-racism gesture, where coaches or players signal an allegation of racism by holding their arms in an X shape, to highlight his claims.The controversial decision to disallow the goal ignited tensions on the Egypt bench, contributing to Hassan's actions during the match.Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead after 67 minutes, but Argentina staged a late comeback to win 3-2.

Hassan criticized the officiating, claiming there was a lack of respect and fair play, and questioned the VAR's involvement in disallowing two goals.

While he did not provide evidence for his claims, he suggested external factors, such as support for Argentina's world champions status, may have influenced the decisions.The incident has raised questions about racism in football and the effectiveness of FIFA's anti-racism measures.