Topline
A video showing officers of the Dallas Police Department screaming at staff members of Egypt’s World Cup team has gone viral and critics are calling it just one example of the harassment and intolerance experienced by foreign World Cup teams as the U.S. hosts the international soccer tournament.
Trezeguet, No. 7 of Egypt, during between New Zealand and Egypt at on June 21, 2026 in Vancouver.
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Key Facts
The video, first shared on Instagram by Al Jazeera English, shows a police officer approach staff members of the Egypt team who were watching a player (forward Trézéguét) take photos with a young fan in a hotel lobby and start yelling “Back off!” “Back off!” before shoving them away.
The man, who has been identified in reports as Egypt’s team director Ibrahim Hassan, starts arguing with the officer and more shoves are exchanged before the situation ultimately calms and crowds thin out.
Dallas police later said they were called to the property by hotel security over reports of “an individual without event credentials attempting to gain access,” but critics have said the officer “escalated and created something out of nothing” and said his behavior could have sparked an “international incident.”
A video of the incident posted by Onze Masre, which is focused on Egyptian football news, described the Egyptian staff being “violently assaulted by American police,” and had nearly 4 million views by Friday.
Other Team Complaints Reported During U.S. World Cup
The Egypt altercation is just the latest in a handful of incidents raising concern about how visiting teams, officials and supporters are being treated during the World Cup in the U.S. after reports of immigration issues and complaints about excess security measures. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly subject to roughly seven hours of questioning after arriving at Chicago’s airport before eventually being admitted to the country, and the team from Senegal was subjected to unusually lengthy security checks on the airport tarmac after arriving in the U.S., though the country’s soccer federation later said the checks were prearranged. Uruguay’s squad was reportedly searched by police dogs before one of its matches and photos of Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne and his teammates being searched during the immigration process went viral last month. Referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States because his home country, Somalia, is subject to a Trump administration travel ban and other players—Woodensky Pierre of Haiti and Breel Embolo of Switzerland—also reported troubles with travel to the United States.
TANGENT
Ahead of the tournament’s start, human rights groups said recent mass immigration enforcement efforts in the U.S. had created a “climate of fear” for fans of foreign teams. Daniel Noroña of the Sport & Rights Alliance said “attending a soccer match should never result in arbitrary detention or deportation,” adding, “The threat of excessive policing, including immigration enforcement, at World Cup venues are deeply troubling.” Federal immigration officials have been stationed at tournament venues but there have not been any confirmed reports of arrests at matches or inside stadiums.
Surprising Fact
Despite complaints of unfair treatment, the Iranian national team left a hand-written note thanking Los Angeles-area fans for their hospitality. “May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations,” the note read.
Key background
The group stages of the World Cup have concluded, and the single-elimination knockout matches are underway. The tournament is in the Round of 16 and will finish at MetLife Stadium on July 19, where President Donald Trump is set to jointly present the championship trophy to the winners with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Despite an unexpectedly sharp performance from the U.S. team, and his love of attending sporting events, Trump hasn’t attended any World Cup matches in an unusual move from the head of a host country.