Argentina fans accused of violence, racism by Egypt, Cape Verde supporters

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The accusations, coupled with at least one high-profile allegation of racism, have brought new scrutiny to Argentina’s title defence, after two closely fought knockout matches in which lower-ranked opponents nearly embarrassed Lionel Messi’s side. On Tuesday, Egypt led Argentina 2-0 in Atlanta before Messi’s side staged a stunning late comeback to advance to the quarterfinals. Their fans reacted to the team’s poor start and eventual turnaround by attacking their Egyptian counterparts in ugly scenes filmed by a spectator at Atlanta Stadium. Supporters of the Albiceleste were filmed throwing beer on Egypt’s fans after the world champions equalised against the Pharaohs in the closing stages of the round-of-16 encounter. “They’re throwing beer at us,” said a fan who filmed the incident at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday. “When we scored, we did nothing to them. After they scored, they started attacking us,” he added before panning the camera towards Argentinian fans provoking Egypt’s supporters. Several videos and photos posted by fans at the stadium also showed the Argentinians waving the Israeli flag towards the Egyptian coaching staff as they exited the field after the match. Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan has spoken passionately about the plight of the Palestinian people, especially those in Gaza, where Israel has waged a genocidal war since October 2023. He made headlines by raising the Palestinian flag after Egypt’s round-of-32 win over Australia last week, and followed it up by speaking on the issue in his pre-match news conference on Monday. “If there is anyone in the world who does not feel for the Palestinian people, then they are not human — whether they are Arab, European, or American,” Hassan said. The episode in Atlanta was not a standalone incident involving Argentinian fans. Last Friday, tiny Cape Verde gave Argentina a scare in their round-of-32 match in Miami. The underrated yet tenacious African side pulled back two superb goals against the three-time champions to stun the largely Argentinian crowd at Miami Stadium. Following Argentina’s win over Cape Verde, fans of the African team told Al Jazeera that their South American counterparts threw beer bottles towards them at every goal scored by their team. “We were a much smaller group of fans than them, and they attacked us with bottles after every goal,” a fan who wished to remain anonymous told Al Jazeera outside Miami Stadium on Friday. With Argentina advancing to the quarterfinals, where they will meet Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium on Saturday, it remains to be seen if FIFA will take any action or issue warnings. FIFA has not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment. Earlier on Tuesday, the sport’s global governing body issued a statement saying it condemned the abuse hurled at social media celebrity IShowSpeed at Argentina vs Cape Verde. The American influencer has attended and streamed several World Cup matches under a deal with FIFA, US-based host broadcaster Fox Sports and YouTube that lets him simulcast official match feeds. During his livestream of Argentina vs Cape Verde in Miami, Speed turned towards a fan wearing an Argentina jersey who was leaning over the railing of her stand to catch his attention. When he asked her what she was saying, the fan apparently told Speed in Spanish to “go cry at the zoo”. FIFA said it “immediately initiated an investigation” into the July 3 incident in Miami. It termed the World Cup “a celebration of unity, diversity, and respect” and stated that the organisation would not welcome anyone “who acts in a manner that undermines these values”. 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