Egypt coach offers support for Iranian team before crucial World Cup match
Key takeaways
- Hossam Hassan invokes FIFA’s ‘respect and fair play’ rules amid US restrictions on Iran, whom Egypt face in Seattle.
- Asked by Al Jazeera if he had a message for the Iranian team, Hassan said on Thursday that he has “respect [for] all of the teams that have a right to be at the World Cup”.
- All teams have the right to equal treatment, “because FIFA seeks respect and fair play”, he added during a news conference ahead of a decisive fixture against Iran in the final group-stage game on Friday.
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Hossam Hassan invokes FIFA’s ‘respect and fair play’ rules amid US restrictions on Iran, whom Egypt face in Seattle.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Hossam Hassan, head coach of Egypt, has voiced support for the Iranian team ahead of both sides' meeting in Seattle on Friday [Soobum Im//Getty Images via AFP]By Ali Harb Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026Seattle, US – Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan says all teams at the FIFA World Cup must be treated equally amid criticism that Iran has faced unfair scheduling and travel restrictions from tournament cohosts the United States.
Asked by Al Jazeera if he had a message for the Iranian team, Hassan said on Thursday that he has “respect [for] all of the teams that have a right to be at the World Cup”.