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

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”.

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.

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.

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”.

Turkey’s ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Sen, also joined in praising Hassan on X.

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”.

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.

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.”