India, July 16 -- One week after Egypt's exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026, manager Hossam Hassan has broken his silence regarding his touchline confrontation with Lionel Messi. The heated incident took place during the fiery final moments of Egypt's narrow 3-2 Round of 16 defeat against Argentina at the Atlanta Stadium. Speaking out on the drama, Hassan completely clarified the meaning behind his controversial crossed-arms 'X' gesture and opened up about what the Argentine captain said to him during the match.

The crossed-arms signal caused confusion and speculation because it is technically an official FIFA protocol. Introduced globally by FIFA in May 2024, crossing the forearms or wrists is the universally recognized signal for player...