Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan Booked After X Gesture in 3-2 World Cup Loss to Argentina

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan Booked After X Gesture in 3-2 World Cup Loss to Argentina

Q: Why did the referee ignore a gesture FIFA defines as racist abuse from Egypt's coach during the World Cup?

There is no confirmed public explanation from referee François Letexier or FIFA, so the short answer is that the referee appears to have treated Hossam Hassan’s “X” gesture as part of a heated protest, not as a formal report of racist abuse. Under FIFA guidance, the crossed-arms “X” is meant to alert officials to racist abuse and trigger the three-step anti-discrimination protocol. But in this match, Letexier did not stop play for that process. He instead cautioned Hassan and restarted the game. Based on the reporting available, neither the referee nor FIFA has clarified why. The most plausible reading from the match context is that the signal came during a chaotic confrontation over the VAR decision that disallowed Egypt’s goal. Egypt’s bench was already protesting furiously, one staff member had been sent off, and Hassan was directly confronting the referee. In that setting, Letexier may have interpreted the gesture as dissent or demonstrative complaining rather than a specific anti-racism report. That does not settle whether he handled it correctly. The lack of protocol activation has become part of the controversy, because FIFA’s own rules give the “X” a defined meaning. Analysts and reports agree on one key point: the reason for the referee’s inaction remains unclear, and there is no evidence so far that FIFA has publicly justified the decision.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 7

Hossam Hassan was shown a yellow card after making FIFA’s crossed-arms X signal during Egypt’s 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta.
The gesture came amid fury over a VAR review that erased what looked like Egypt’s second goal at 2-0, after referee Francois Letexier ruled an earlier foul on Lisandro Martinez.
FIFA’s anti-racism protocol says the X signal alerts referees to alleged racist abuse and can trigger a three-step response, but play continued and the reason for Hassan’s booking was not clarified.
Egypt’s bench unraveled late, with several players and staff booked and one staff member sent off in the 94th minute as fans online accused officials of protecting Lionel Messi’s title defense.
Argentina then completed the comeback through Messi and a stoppage-time Enzo Fernandez header, keeping the reigning champions alive in their bid for back-to-back World Cups.