Argentine news channel Todo Noticias has included Egypt national team manager Hossam Hassan in a list of ten global figures accused of participating in a campaign to tarnish the image of Argentina and its football team following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The accusation came in an opinion piece by journalist Jonatan Viale published on the channel’s website under the title “The Trend of Attacking Argentina.” The article claimed the existence of a propaganda campaign aimed at defaming the country, questioning whether the criticism was spontaneous or driven by behind-the-scenes interests.
Viale identified Hossam Hassan as the instigator of the “first attack” against Argentina, citing his fierce criticism of the officiating following Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to La Albiceleste in the World Cup Round of 16.
The Egyptian coach had branded the match unfair, alleging that commercial and marketing factors favored Lionel Messi and Argentina remaining in the tournament. He also voiced strong frustration over VAR’s failure to intervene on a potential penalty incident involving Mohamed Salah prior to Argentina’s winning goal.
In addition to Hossam Hassan, the list featured New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, actors Samuel L. Jackson and Pedro Pascal, singer Rosalía, content creators IShowSpeed and Ibai Llanos, as well as the English journalist Piers Morgan.
The report linked statements from these personalities to wider criticisms faced by the Argentine team regarding refereeing, player conduct, and allegations of racism, framing the recurring narratives as evidence of a coordinated campaign against the nation.
Argentina had narrowly overcome Egypt by overturning a two-goal deficit to win 3-2, eventually advancing to the World Cup final before losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
