Egypt's head coach found himself at the centre of a brief physical altercation with Dallas law enforcement at the team's hotel, an encounter documented in video and released to the public. The clash between Hassan, the team director, and a police officer stemmed from disagreement about lobby access procedures following a player's interaction with a fan. Police authorities stated the matter had been resolved at the scene, and subsequent dialogue between Egyptian officials and law enforcement resulted in an apology that the coaching staff accepted.

During Egypt's successful World Cup knockout match against Australia, Hassan marked the team's penalty shootout victory by waving a Palestinian flag on the pitch whilst speaking emotionally about his solidarity with Palestinian people. International football authorities confirmed that such national flag displays are within tournament rules, and Hassan faced no apparent consequences for the gesture. Hassan, who became the first Egyptian to both play and coach at World Cup level, received public support for his commemorative act from Egyptian cultural figures.