After Egypt’s elimination by Argentina in the World Cup on Tuesday, Egyptian commentator Mohammed Nour published a video in which he blamed Israel for the 3-2 loss.
In the video, he claimed, among other things, that Yair Netanyahu, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the one who brought Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.
“We played against Argentina, but also against FIFA and Israel. Very strange things happened there,” Nour claimed. “They set boundaries for Egypt – and it was forbidden to cross them. They didn’t allow the Palestinian flag to be brought in, in front of billions of viewers.”
Later in the video, Nour claimed that “the Argentina national team is an Israeli team par excellence. The president of Argentina is one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s best friends. Messi has visited Israel several times, even worn a kippah, and prayed at the Western Wall.
“He met with Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu and is a friend of Yair Netanyahu, who took him to America to play for Inter Miami. Messi and Argentina’s relations with Israel are well known. We played like heroes, but Israel – meaning FIFA and the referees – had something to say about it, and we couldn’t overcome these circumstances,” he added.
Messi did indeed visit Israel and pray at the Western Wall back in 2013, when he came with the Barcelona delegation, where he then played. But the alleged influence of Yair Netanyahu to bring him to the United States to play in the MLS is completely unfounded.
Additionally, claims that Israel has the power to determine the outcome of a match in the World Cup are not a reflection of the country’s current relationship with FIFA, which has been strained since Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
Since 2023, even after several ceasefires were established and amid periods of relative peace in the country, both the Israeli national team and Israeli clubs are still forbidden from hosting matches at home and must travel to other countries to play international games.
“There is a simple formula for peace: put Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta in the negotiations,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joked when he hosted Messi and the Barcelona players in Israel in the summer of 2013.
“I watch you all the time; sports carry a message and can unite people. You also have big goals – to score against the opponent, but also to defend the front, the goal. Your goal, and ours, is to fulfill the human potential inherent within us; that is the aspiration of us all. We hope that one percent of your fans in the world – 3 billion people – will visit us in Israel. It will greatly boost our economy and advance the peace process.”