Egypt fans have celebrated the defeat of Argentina by Spain in the World Cup final as one fan says the 2022 champions play ‘ugly football’
Many Egyptians haven’t forgiven Argentina since their team’s controversial last-16 defeat by the eventual runners-up.
Although Lionel Messi remains one of the most admired footballers in Egypt, many of his supporters celebrated Argentina’s defeat, saying it was a fitting end to a tournament they believed had favoured the defending champions.
Speaking to a local radio station, Egyptian fan Hussein said he and his son, who had idolized Messi for years, stopped supporting the Argentine after “feeling that the tournament and the results were altered to help him reach the final.”
Magdi criticized Argentina’s “ugly football”, saying the South Americans did not deserve to become world champions, while another fan watching the final from the New Capital’s fan zone said: “As Egyptians, we’re proud that our toughest match was against Argentina.”
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Public figures, football stars and thousands of fans flooded the social media with their satisfaction, while others took to the streets to celebrate Spain’s victory.
The lingering resentment dates back to Egypt’s dramatic last-16 exit, when the Pharaohs squandered a two-goal lead before Lionel Messi’s side staged a late comeback to win 3-2 and reach the quarter-finals.
The defeat left many Egyptians convinced they had been denied a fair chance to progress. Following the match, Egypt forward Mostafa Zico blamed French referee François Letexier for the defeat.
“Not fair, not fair. The referee was the reason for the defeat,” Zico said in televised comments.
Many supporters echoed that sentiment, arguing Argentina had benefited from favourable officiating throughout the tournament and did not deserve to retain the title.
Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Maya Morsy, reflected the mood in a Facebook post after the final.
“Congratulations, Spain! A well-deserved victory… You made the whole world celebrate. And by the way, today our hearts are beating with one voice: Long live Egypt!”
