The Egyptian national soccer team’s manager, Hossam Hossein, held up a Palestinian flag after his team’s win in the World Cup round of 32 on Friday night, beating Australia in penalties.

Speaking to the press after the final whistle in Dallas, Hossein dedicated his team’s victory to the “good and noble” Egyptian and Palestinian people.

“My heart and soul are with them,” he said in an emotional post-game interview.

A video of Hassan on social media shows him walking around the pitch holding the flag as people chanted “free free Palestine.” The video went viral.

Hassan is not known to be religious or connected to any political group. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was adored by the youth, a street soccer player who played in the slums.

It wasn’t immediately clear if FIFA would seek to take any action, and it didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously sought to restrict what it sees as political statements on the pitch.

Egypt Manager Hossam Hassan Raises Palestinian Flag After Historic World Cup Win (3 July 2026) pic.twitter.com/6ihX9J886i — Desi_UHD (@Desi_UHD) July 4, 2026

Egypt Manager Hossam Hassan Raises Palestinian Flag After Historic World Cup Win (3 July 2026) pic.twitter.com/6ihX9J886i

— Desi_UHD (@Desi_UHD) July 4,........

© The Times of Israel