Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan, a vocal supporter of Palestine, reacted angrily to the sight of an Israeli flag in the crowd moments after his side suffered a dramatic World Cup exit to Argentina. Egypt had led 2-0 in their Round of 16 tie but conceded three goals in the final 20 minutes to lose 3-2 and go out of the tournament, one of the most striking collapses in World Cup history.

According to the report, as Hassan left the pitch he spotted two Argentinian fans holding an Israeli flag and, together with another coach, pointed at them, appeared to mimic spitting, and confronted a photographer capturing the moment. Hassan had already been outspoken on the issue throughout the tournament, waving a Palestinian flag after Egypt's Round of 32 penalty-shootout win over Australia and dedicating that victory to the Palestinian people. The article also references an earlier incident at the Iran–New Zealand match at SoFi Stadium, where a spectator said his Israeli flag was confiscated while nearby Palestinian flags were allowed to remain, which he described as a double standard.