Egypt’s head coach raises Palestinian flag and dedicates victory to Palestinians after historic World Cup win

FIFA World Cup 2026: Egypt head coach raises Palestinian flag, dedicates historic R32 win to Palestinians Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan paid an emotional tribute to the Palestinian people after leading his side to a landmark FIFA World Cup success, raising the Palestinian flag moments after the Pharaohs secured a dramatic Round of 32 victory over Australia.Egypt booked their place in the round of 16 for the first time in FIFA World Cup history after beating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Dallas on Friday (local time). As the celebrations unfolded, Hassan was seen holding a Palestinian flag before dedicating the historic victory to both Egypt and Palestine.After the match, Hassan expressed support for the Palestinians, saying, “My heart and soul are with them,” before praying that “God have mercy on their martyrs.”He added: “I dedicate this victory to the Egyptian people and the good and generous Palestinian people.”The victory marked a historic milestone for Egypt, who advanced beyond the opening knockout round of the FIFA World Cup for the first time.Australia threatened early on when Cristian Volpato rattled the crossbar from distance in the opener five minutes before Jordan Bos was denied by a timely save from Rami Rabio.Egypt responded by taking the lead in the 13th minute. Karim Hafez got on top of a challenging cross from the left and Emam Ashour headed in a header that beat goalkeeper Patrick Beach at the far post.The Pharaohs enjoyed the better of the first half but Australia equalized shortly after the restart when Mohamed Hany mistakenly turned a dangerous free-kick into his own net.Both teams created chances to win before penalties. Beach produced an excellent one-handed save to deny Rabio’s powerful header, while Harry Souttar made a crucial block to prevent Haise Hassan restoring Egypt’s advantage. Mohamed Salah also came close but fired over the bar from a promising position in extra time.A shootout eventually settled the match. Souttar blazed Australia’s opening penalty over the bar to allow Egypt to take the initiative. Salah calmly chipped the Doll while 18-year-old Lucas Herrington missed Australia’s fourth try. Hossam Abdelmaguid then converted the decisive penalty to seal a 4-2 victory and send Egypt through to the round of 16.Egypt will now prepare for their last 16 match against defending champions Argentina as their unforgettable journey to the FIFA World Cup continues.