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Hossam Hassan calls for FIFA’s ‘respect and fair play’ rules amid US sanctions on Iran, which Egypt faces in Seattle.
Updated on 26 Jun 2026
Seattle, US Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan has said that all teams at the FIFA World Cup should be treated the same while it is criticized that Iran has faced unfair policies and travel restrictions from competitors in the United States.
Asked by Al Jazeera if he had a message for the Iranian team, Hassan said on Thursday that he “respects () all the teams that have the right to be at the World Cup”.
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All teams have the right to receive equal treatment, “because FIFA wants respect and fair play”, he added in a press conference before the match against Iran in the final group game on Friday.
“Respect and playing fair means that everyone should respect everyone, and that there should be justice between everyone, that’s why I wish the best for all of us,” said Hassan. “The Iranian team is one of the teams I respect the most.”
While Hassan stopped short of criticizing the US military, his comments represent a rare show of support for Iran from a rival group.
Iran set up their training camp in Mexico while playing all their matches on the US West Coast. The Iranian players and staff were allowed to enter the US a day before their match and were ordered to leave the country immediately after the match.
US officials said he loosened the restrictions Before Iran’s match against Egypt in Seattle, allowing Team Melli to arrive in the city two days earlier.
Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei said on Thursday that the US travel policy has affected the fitness and preparation of his team.
“We will put all this aside. We will deal with all these problems,” he told reporters.
‘You have taken away our freedom’
Asked by Al Jazeera if he could arrive in Seattle two days before the game, Ghalenoei said: “This was our right, which we should have had in the last two games, but they took away our right to arrive on time.”
Both Ghalenoei and Hassan expressed respect for each other’s teams in separate press conferences on Thursday.
“We are very happy that there are two teams playing together that have a long history and are proud of their countries,” Ghalenoei said.
He insisted that his team is not just looking to stop the Egyptian star Mohamed Salahsaying that the Pharaohs have effective players in the whole field.
“We believe that the Egyptian team is a well-prepared, well-prepared team. In addition to Salah, they have many well-known players,” said Ghalenoei.
Egypt come into the match at the top of the group with four points. Painting will be enough to qualify.
Iran is second with two points. Belgium also has two, and New Zealand has one.
Although a draw would be enough for Egypt to qualify, Hassan said they know how to go about winning without counting the stats.
Egypt got their first World Cup victory, winning 3-1 against new ZealandOn Monday, the start of the empty celebrations among the Egyptians.
“We want to make you happy. You deserve all the joy we saw and heard in Egypt,” Hassan said in a message to Egyptian fans.
