Many people don’t know this, but the crossed-arms “X” signal is FIFA’s universal gesture for reporting racist abuse.
When a player, coach, or team official makes that signal, they’re informing the referee that racist abuse has occurred. It is meant to trigger FIFA’s three-step anti-racism protocol: first stop the match, then suspend it if the abuse continues, and ultimately abandon the match if it doesn’t stop.
Today, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan made the “X” gesture from the touchline. Instead of initiating the protocol, the referee booked Hassan with a yellow card and allowed play to continue.
🚨🗣️New: Mohamed Salah on the controversial officiating decisions in Egypt and Argentina game, Messi and Argentina are being favored:
“People will say Argentina showed the mentality of champions. Fine. But tell me this: when exactly did Egypt get the same protection from the officials?
We scored a second goal. The stadium exploded. The world saw it. Then suddenly VAR became an archaeologist, digging through the ruins of football history to find a foul from another lifetime.
Funny how they could rewind the game Five minutes to cancel our goal, but when I was brought down in the box, everyone suddenly forgot where the replay button was.
That’s what hurts. Not losing. Not Argentina.
The inconsistency.
One decision gets examined under a microscope. Another gets buried under the carpet.
We were told football is decided on the pitch. Tonight it felt like it was decided in a control room.
And let’s talk about those final minutes.
Two penalty appeals. Two moments that could have changed everything. Nothing. No review. No urgency. No explanation.
Then Argentina go down the other end and score the winner.
That isn’t a plot twist. That’s the kind of script that leaves millions of people asking questions.
Egypt fought for every blade of grass. We defended. We believed. We earned our moments.
But every time we climbed the mountain, someone moved the summit.
The disallowed goal.
The ignored penalty shouts.
The cards flying around our bench because people who dedicate their lives to this game couldn’t understand what they were witnessing.
And now we’re expected to smile and say football won?
No.
Football wins when the rules are applied equally.
Football wins when VAR is a shield for fairness, not a sword that appears only when convenient.
Because from where I’m standing, Egypt didn’t just lose 3-2.
Egypt lost a goal, lost two penalty appeals, lost faith in consistency, and eventually lost a place in the quarter-finals.
Maybe Argentina deserved to advance.
Maybe they didn’t.
That’s football.
But what will make people angry isn’t the result.
It’s the feeling that one team was forced to play against eleven men, the clock, and a set of decisions that seemed to change shape whenever the game demanded it.
And that’s why this match will be remembered long after the scoreline is forgotten.”
Madame Celeste Amarilla,
Vous êtes une femme méprisable et indigne de sa fonction.
Vous ne représentez pas le Paraguay, ce pays qui a transpiré la passion et l’honneur tout au long de la compétition. Par votre inconscience et votre racisme décomplexé, le monde entier a déjà oublié le parcours et l’effort historique que vos joueurs ont réalisés durant cette coupe du monde pour laisser place à une dame incompétente donnant la pire image possible de son pays.
Je ne laisserai jamais aux gens comme elle, la liberté de laisser propager leur haine et leur racisme à travers le monde.
I think nobody being behind KC’s door shaved a clean 10% off his ego, which is exactly what he needed going into this lmaoo he’s ready now! #loveislandusa
so much of adult life is just grieving in secret.
grieving exes you don’t talk about anymore, grieving dead friendships, grieving parents who are starting to look older every day. it’s grieving the person you thought you’d become by now, the cities you never got to live in, and the parts of yourself that just... didn't make it.
i keep thinking about how many of us are carrying around this heavy-ass grief that literally nobody sees.
Do not borrow shame from the past. You are not that person anymore and you simply didn't know better. No reason to beat yourself up for it.
All you can do is really do better.
Marriage only benefits a woman when the man is truly capable of leading, providing, and protecting. Otherwise she's just adding responsibilities to a life she already manages alone.