Gaza football fans watch World Cup match amid rubble of destroyed buildings
July 13, 2026 at 01:20 PM · Updated 96d ago
Coverage
3 reports · 2 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 22 hours
Hundreds of football fans in Gaza gathered among ruined buildings to watch Tuesday's World Cup match between Argentina and Egypt.
- Fans across parts of Gaza watched the Argentina v Egypt World Cup game from the rubble of shattered structures.
- The game ended 3-2 with Argentina advancing to the quarter-finals.
- Many fans waved flags for Egypt, which has mediated ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
Latest developments
In a follow-up to the match, Egyptian Supply Minister Sherif Farouk ignited a social media controversy after posting a congratulatory message to Argentina for their victory over Egypt. The post, made despite widespread fan accusations of biased refereeing during the game, was quickly edited to highlight Egypt's honorable performance. However, the original version had already circulated online, prompting criticism. A ministry source later stated that Farouk’s intent was purely to express sporting spirit and not to undermine national sentiment.
Latest developments
In the match itself, Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the 21st minute, making him the player with the most missed penalties in World Cup history (four misses). Egypt had initially taken a 2-0 lead through goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mustafa Ziko, before Argentina mounted a comeback. Enzo Fernández scored the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, securing Argentina's 3-2 victory and advancement to the quarter-finals.