Atlanta, July 8 -- Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan sparked a major controversy after alleging that Argentina's status as defending champions and the global stature of captain Lionel Messi may have influenced the outcome of his side's dramatic 3-2 defeat in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, with tensions boiling over into a heated touchline exchange between the two after the match.
Hassan questioned the fairness of the officiating and VAR decisions, insisting Egypt deserved to progress after letting a two-goal lead slip. He claimed factors beyond his team's performance had influenced the result, remarks that quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the tournament.
The controversy followed a remarkable comeback by Argentina, who rec...