After Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback over Egypt in Atlanta, footage of fans waving an Israeli flag drew anger online, with one Egyptian YouTuber accusing ‘Zionism,’ FIFA and the referee of helping eliminate Mohamed Salah’s sideDennis Bihler| Related TopicsArgentina’s dramatic World Cup comeback against Egypt spilled beyond soccer after images of Argentine fans waving an Israeli flag in the stands ignited anger among Egyptian supporters and turned the Round of 16 thriller into a political flashpoint.Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, overturning a two-goal deficit in the closing stages to advance to the quarterfinals. Egypt had taken the lead through Yasser Ibrahim in the 14th minute, before goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a Lionel Messi penalty in the 20th minute.Mostafa Zico later appeared to double Egypt’s lead in the second half, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review. He then scored Egypt’s legitimate second goal in the 66th minute, putting the Pharaohs on course for a historic upset over the defending champions.But Argentina mounted a late comeback. Cristian Romero scored in the 79th minute, Messi equalized four minutes later and Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround with a stoppage-time winner, sending Argentina through and ending Egypt’s run.As Argentine fans celebrated after the final whistle, cameras captured supporters waving an Israeli flag in the stands, according to footage and images circulated after the match. The scene triggered mixed reactions outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and quickly fed into anger among Egyptian fans who were already furious over the refereeing.Argentina fans waving Israeli flag during the match against Egypt (Photo: Screenshot from social media)One of the sharpest reactions came from the Egyptian YouTube channel “Al Wa’i Nour,” whose video was titled: “Egypt loses to Zionism, the referee, FIFA and Argentina: A complete World Cup scandal.”In the video, the commentator accused the referee of denying Egypt a deserved victory, claiming the match was a “complete disaster” for FIFA and alleging that Egypt had effectively played not only against Argentina but against “the system.” He said Egypt should have won 3-0 and accused officials of ignoring a late penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah, allowing Argentina to counter before scoring the winner.The commentator linked the result to politics, claiming Egypt’s success was unwanted because coach Hossam Hassan had raised the Palestinian flag and spoken about the Palestinian cause before a global audience. He said it was “not required” for Egypt to reach the quarterfinals while repeatedly displaying support for Palestinians.He also described Argentina as “an Israeli team par excellence,” pointing to Argentine President Javier Milei’s close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Messi’s past visits to Israel. The YouTuber claimed Messi had visited the Western Wall, worn a kippah and met members of the Netanyahu family, presenting those links as part of what he called Argentina’s connection to Israel.Those claims were part of the YouTuber’s commentary and were not evidence of any official Israeli role in the match. But they reflected how quickly the Israeli flag incident became folded into a broader narrative among some Egyptian fans, who viewed the defeat through the lens of Palestine, Israel and perceived bias by FIFA.The video repeatedly returned to the same theme: that Egypt had performed heroically but was prevented from advancing. The commentator praised Hassan, Salah, Shobeir, Zico and the rest of the squad, saying Egypt had “raised our heads” despite the loss.For Argentina, the result preserved its title defense and Messi’s World Cup run. For Egypt, it ended in heartbreak, protest and a wave of political anger that turned one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches into a regional controversy.Comments