CAIRO, Egypt (AP) 鈥� Egypt coach Hossam Hassan waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch after his team’s victory over Australia in the World Cup, saying he was dedicating it to both Egyptians and Palestinians.
鈥淢y heart and soul are with them,鈥� he said in an emotional postgame interview.
Egypt won its debut in the elimination round of the by beating Australia 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in the round of 32 Friday.
The victory comes in Egypt鈥檚 fourth World Cup.
A video of Hassan on social media shows him walking around the pitch holding the flag as people chanted 鈥淔ree, free Palestine!” The video went viral.
鈥淚t was the most significant scene,鈥� Yahia Qalash, former head of Egypt鈥檚 Journalists鈥� Union, said of Hassan鈥檚 move. 鈥淚t was a telling scene in an exceptional moment.鈥�
The fate of more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and living amid ruins, remains uncertain after a war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel鈥檚 retaliation has killed a total of 73,066 Palestinians, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry.
The war has sparked pro-Palestinian protests around the world, with some athletes also expressing solidarity.
Earlier this year, Lamine Yamal waved a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title. The act caused backlash from Israel’s defense minister, who criticized Barcelona鈥檚 teenage star and said his action 鈥渋ncites hate.鈥�
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 footballer who played in the slums.
He said Friday he was dedicating the game to the 鈥済ood and noble鈥� Egyptian and Palestinian people.
Asked about the Palestinian flag, FIFA said it is permitted to display it at the World Cup. There was no indication of any action being taken against Hassan.
鈥淔lags representing all 211 FIFA Member Associations are permitted at FIFA tournaments, and supporters are welcome to display them in accordance with stadium regulations and the FIFA Stadium Code of Conduct,” the governing body told The Associated Press in a statement.
The Palestine Football Association is one of FIFA’s member organizations.
In other contexts, FIFA has previously sought to restrict what it sees as political statements on the pitch.
During the Qatar World Cup in 2022, some European teams were prevented from wearing armbands in support of the 鈥淥ne Love鈥� campaign, an international anti-discrimination initiative.
During Iran’s matches in this World Cup, some Iranian Americans in Los Angeles sought to display the country’s pre-revolutionary flag and block a FIFA ban on that flag. They lost in court, and the ban was upheld.
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