Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
World Cup quick hits were dominated by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan’s furious reaction to defeat against Argentina, Belgium’s pointed celebration after beating the United States, and FIFA’s probe into abuse aimed at IShowSpeed.
The fallout came during a chaotic knockout week, with VAR decisions, player injuries, social media storms and political undertones all adding heat to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The wider tournament picture remains just as intense, with the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals set as eight nations chase semi-final spots.
Egypt Anger Boils Over
Hassan was furious after Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina, with his side having a goal ruled out by VAR before later arguing Mohamed Salah should have had a penalty.
"I'm going home and won't be watching any more games from the tournament," he told a press conference.
"What happened to us wasn't fair. We should have had a penalty, a goal was disallowed, and I don't know why it was disallowed.
"I'm not convinced with this outcome. I'm not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match.
"I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, selective wording, and saying hard luck, and so on and so forth.
"We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.
"We looked better compared to the reigning champions. We were better in everything, but the result, the outcome, was influenced by internal factors on the pitch, inside the game, and external factors ahead of the game.
"There seemed to have been pressure exercised from the Argentinian side on the referee that had brought about this outcome.
"Ordinary life, normal life is unfair, OK, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? Within football?"
Mostafa Zico was just as blunt.
"It's clear this tournament has been fixed," he said.
Belgium Send Message After United States Win
Belgium’s 4-1 win over the United States carried extra spice after the controversy around Folarin Balogun’s red card reprieve.
Romelu Lukaku’s fourth-goal celebration appeared to reference Donald Trump’s well-known rally dance, and the mood reportedly continued inside Belgium’s dressing room.
The win came at a cost, with Amadou Onana suffering an ACL rupture.
"This is devastating news," Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said.
"Both for him personally and for the team."
FIFA Probes IShowSpeed Incident
FIFA is investigating alleged abuse aimed at YouTuber IShowSpeed during Argentina’s match against Cape Verde.
"FIFA strongly condemns racism, hate and discrimination in all forms," FIFA said in a statement.
"These actions have no place in football, at the FIFA World Cup, or anywhere in society.
"The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of unity, diversity and respect. It brings together people, cultures and communities from around the world, and anyone who acts in a manner that undermines these values is not welcome in our game."
Official tournament updates are available through FIFA.
