Egypt manager Hossam Hassan could be punished by FIFA after making an ‘X’ gesture the referee ignored during The Pharaoh’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Argentina on Tuesday night, and an explanation has now emerged why.

Mohamed Salah and co. were dumped out of the World Cup in the most agonising fashion in Atlanta, Georgia. Leading 2-0 with 11 minutes left on the clock, the current world champions scored three times in 14 minutes, though the decision not to give Egypt a penalty has caused a huge stir, with a VAR expert casting a strong verdict on it.

It was Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez who finished off a speedy counterattack from that decision to wave play on, planting a header beyond the goalkeeper in the 93rd minute. He wheeled away to the symphony of an emotional Argentina travelling support, but also to the chaos that erupted on the bench as the two sets of backroom staff clashed with each other.

Egypt Manager’s ‘X’ Gesture a Cause For Controversy

After referee Francois Letexier showed a yellow card to one of Egypt’s coaching staff in the 98th minute, Hassan made an ‘X’ gesture towards the official. The gesture is commonly used for reporting instances of alleged racist abuse, though it is unclear whether it was definitively used for that reason in particular.

Following Hassan’s gesture, an Egypt substitute intervened, before his brother and coach Ibrahim walked across to put Hassan’s hands back by his sides. See the incident below:

Letexier then had a lengthy discussion with both manager and coach, with Ibrahim making a thumbs-up gesture towards the referee before he returned to the pitch. It is unclear as to whether he took any further action, but the gesture has previously been deemed an ‘offensive expression’ depicting a pair of handcuffs.

Hossam Hassan Now Faces Potential FIFA Punishment

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Anne-Marie Sorvin

According to Mickey Jnr, a leading African football journalist, the 59-year-old will be investigated by FIFA after the incident, with it being suggested that he could face a suspension.

In 2010, then Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho showed a similar ‘X’ gesture. He was subsequently given a three-match ban, though it remains to be seen how much the law over that particular gesture has changed in 16 years.

One Liverpool star is attracting fresh interest this summer ahead of a possible exit. Changes are afoot for the Reds following the summer appointment of Andoni Iraola, with the Spanish boss inevitably wanting to put his own stamp on his squad.

Liverpool spent huge money last summer, but they are expected to follow that up with more big investment this summer. But we could also see exits at Anfield, and Curtis Jones is one of the leading candidates, given his contract is currently on course to expire next summer.

That means the Reds either need to agree a new deal with the midfielder or sell him to make sure they don’t lose Jones for free next summer.

Jones now attracting fresh attention

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Jones is not short of options this summer as he considers what to do next. The midfielder is said to be a target for Galatasaray, who have expressed interest in a deal this summer. That’s according to the Liverpool Echo, who say the Turkish club are the latest club to join the race after talk of interest from Inter Milan and Nottingham Forest.

Reports have suggested Liverpool will ask for as much as £35million to sell Jones this summer, despite the fact he is out of contract at the end of the coming season.

Jones could yet pen a new deal, according to the report, but a decision does not seem to be on the verge of being made. Jones looks likely to join up with the Reds for pre-season, and a decision will likely be made later in the summer, after he has discussed the situation with Liverpool, who may want to present new terms.

Jones a ‘complete’ player

Now former Liverpool boss Arne Slot lavished Jones with praise back in 2024, describing him as a ‘complete’ player. “He has a lot of qualities on the ball,” said Slot. “He is never afraid to do something special with it, but sometimes he touches the ball a bit too much in my opinion because he is so confident.

“But confidence is an important tool. He has an incredibly hard work rate and we trust him in defence. He is complete. For him now, it is all about consistency. The best players turn up every three days and that is what he has got to show.”

Jones made 34 league appearances for Liverpool last season, missing only four games, so he remains a key part of the Reds squad, even if we don’t yet know what Iraola will make of the midfielder.

A VAR expert has delivered a strong verdict on whether Egypt should have been awarded a penalty late in their dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina on Tuesday night. The decision to wave play on ultimately proved costly for Mohamed Salah and co., with the holders going straight up the other end and scoring the goal that completed a remarkable 14-minute turnaround and secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.

The Pharaohs were two goals ahead with just 11 minutes of normal time remaining, but Lionel Scaloni’s side once again showcased their trademark resilience. Lionel Messi scored and provided an assist as Argentina kept their hopes of retaining the title alive, all after becoming the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup tournament earlier in the contest.

However, questions remain over the validity of the winning goal. Enzo Fernandez powered a 93rd-minute header beyond the Egypt goalkeeper before wheeling away in celebration in front of an emotional Argentina support. The dramatic finale also sparked scuffles between the two benches, with a member of the Egypt coaching staff shown a red card for protesting the decision.

VAR Casts Verdict on Mohamed Salah’s Penalty Shout vs Argentina

As the ball was crossed in towards Salah, he appeared to have his shirt tugged and then his feet tripped over in the box just moments later, which helped Argentina on their way to a counterattack. After reviewing the footage, Dale Johnson – who works as a VAR expert for the BBC, believes the referee should have pointed to the spot. He explained on X (see the full post below):

In a separate comment, he followed up by adding: “There is a slight step on the foot too, but so many of these have been allowed to go by referees,” appearing to agree that the African side deserved one penalty, but calls for a second – which would have almost certainly sent Argentina packing – are on the speculative side.

Argentina Keep Finding a Way

Action images via Reuters

Down, but never quite out. The outpouring of emotion at full-time on Tuesday night was not only a show of just how close Argentina were to crashing out of the tournament – Messi no doubt fearful of the possibility of bowing out early – it was a symbol of their resilience, togetherness, and air of inevitability.

Next, they face the winner of Switzerland vs Colombia, before a potential semi-final with England or Norway. A deep run is again on the cards, and football’s greatest-ever is nearing a second shot at sporting immortality.