‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech

‘Let Palestinians live’: Egypt coach wins global praise after emotional speech Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 16:19 Hossam Hassan said his support for Palestinians came from being 'human' before any identity or religion Head coach Hossam Hassan of Egypt speaks during a press conference one day ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2026 round of sixteen between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on 6 July 2026 (Alejandro Pagni/Getty Images/AFP) Off Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan sparked widespread praise on social media after delivering an emotional speech supporting Palestinians during a Fifa World Cup press conference on Monday, ahead of Egypt’s match against Argentina. Speaking in Arabic, Hassan said: “If there is one person in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then he is not a human being,” adding that this applied regardless of whether the person was “Arab, European, American or anything else”. He criticised global indifference to the suffering of Palestinians, saying that while people often mobilise when an animal is harmed, “every day human beings are killed in their thousands, children and women”. “Please, let the Palestinian people live... They aren't asking for anything else.”Speaking to the press on Monday, Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan said that the suffering of the Palestinian people was a "shame on the world" as he called on the football community to do more pic.twitter.com/xT8Ima4M6L— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 7, 2026 Hassan also appealed to athletes and media professionals to use football’s global platform to speak up, describing the sport as global “soft power". “Please, please, all athletes and media professionals, regardless of their religions and countries, maybe through the World Cup, we can send a message: please let the Palestinian people live. They do not want anything, just to live.” The remarks came days after Hassan was seen celebrating with a Palestinian flag following Egypt’s victory over Australia at the World Cup. After the match, he raised the flag as he celebrated Egypt’s progress in the tournament, in a gesture that quickly circulated online and drew attention to his public support for Palestinians. The speech was widely praised by Arab social media users, with many saying Hassan had used one of football’s biggest stages to deliver a message that went beyond sport. Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Association, thanked Hassan in a statement shared on X for what he described as his “humanitarian and noble” stance, his raising of the Palestinian flag and his “sincere solidarity” with the Palestinian people. الفريق جبريل الرجوب يوجه رسالة شكر للكابتن حسام حسن المدير الفني للمنتخب المصري على مواقفه تجاه فلسطين وشعبها pic.twitter.com/k8vMYCdmYM— Palestine Football Association (@Palestine_fa) July 7, 2026 Egyptian sports journalist Ahmed el-Erian also praised Hassan’s remarks on X, saying he had never imagined hearing such a statement from someone in the Egyptian national team at a global event. Erian said Hassan’s words came across as historic because his feelings were “sincere” and his positions on Palestine were “consistent”, adding that, regardless of Egypt’s match against Argentina, Hassan’s speech had given him a moment to be proud of in the country’s World Cup 2026 story. في أحلامي ماكنتش أتخيل الكلام ده من عنصر في منتخب مصر في حدث عالمي زي ده. حسام حسن شخص مميز وفريد في حاجات كتير مش من ضمنها صياغة تصريحاته، ولكن لأن مشاعره صادقة ومواقفه ثابتة وارجع لتاريخه مثلا مع مناصرة فلسطين هتعرف إنها مش جديدة عليه فكأن الله أحل العقدة من لسانه وهو بيتكلم من…— Ahmed Al Erian (@ElArian) July 6, 2026 Palestinian writer Yasser Zaatreh wrote on X that Hassan had achieved “glory greater than the World Cup”, arguing that he won “the match of humanity and principles”. He said that by insisting on his position on Palestine, Hassan had received “the most important medal from the people of the nation and all free people”. حسام حسن يحصد مجدا أكبر من "كأس العالم".. شاهد..الفوز في مباراة أو مباريات ليس شيئا في ميزان التاريخ، وإن أسعد قلوب الملايين في ظل هوس الكرة الذي يجتاح العالم، لكن الفوز في مباراة الإنسانية والمبادئ هو الأهم.بإصراره على موقفه من فلسطين بعد فوز فريقه على كندا، وذلك عشية… pic.twitter.com/C6QIWA4mzN— ياسر الزعاترة (@YZaatreh) July 7, 2026 Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Sen, also joined in praising Hassan on X. Şimdiden gönüllerin şampiyonu: إذا وُجد إنسان في هذا العالم لا يشعر بمعاناة الشعب الفلسطيني، فقد جانبًا أساسيًا من إنسانيته، مهما كانت جنسيته أو دينه أو انتماؤه؛ سواء كان عربيًا أو أوروبيًا أو أمريكيًا أو من أي مكان في العالم.نحن جميعًا نتعاطف عندما يتعرض حيوان للأذى، فتتحرك… pic.twitter.com/Klb21O5VlI— Salih Mutlu Şen (@TurkishCairoAmb) July 7, 2026 Former Egypt and Al Ahly goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir said on X that Hassan had “excelled” during the press conference before the Argentina match. He said that “the Palestinian flag is in the heart of every Egyptian and Arab”. شوبير ''حسام حسن أبدع في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل مواجهة الأرجنتين، بيتكلم كما لو كان أكبر مفكر وسياسي، حاجة جميلة جدًا، وهو بيدافع عن أخواتنا في فلسطين، وبيدافع حقهم في الحياة وحقهم في حياة كريمة، ويعيشوا زي أي شعب .. العلم الفلسطيني في كل قلب كل مصري وعربي، حسام حسن عبر عن مشاعره… pic.twitter.com/kX2O79NzaO— Ahmed Shobier (@ShobierOfficial) July 7, 2026 Al Jazeera also shared a video on X from Gaza showing Palestinians thanking and honouring Hassan for his stance on Palestine. According to Al Jazeera, residents in Gaza sent messages of appreciation to the Egyptian coach for his gesture and his support for Palestinians. تقديرا لموقفه الداعم لفلسطين.. أهالي غزة يكرمون مدرب منتخب مصر حسام حسن ويوجهون له رسائل شكر بعد احتفاله بالعلم الفلسطيني في كأس العالم#الجزيرة_مونديال26 pic.twitter.com/1rN44JELK2— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) July 6, 2026 The reactions reflected how Hassan’s remarks were seen by many as a call for football’s language of respect and fair play to extend beyond the pitch. “Just as FIFA’s slogan says, 'respect and fair play', we want fairness in life,” Hassan said. “We want respect for human beings. We want respect for the fact that a human being should live.”   World Cup 2026 Trending Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0