This Egyptian Former Footballer Slammed The US For Using The World Cup To Whitewash Its Reputation

Egyptian former footballer Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the most celebrated footballers in Africa, has said the US is using the World Cup to whitewash complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Aboutrika is a retired Egyptian footballer who spent most of his career at Al Ahly, one of Africa's biggest clubs, and won multiple league titles and four continental championships.

He also led Egypt to back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2006 and 2008.

Speaking after the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico on Thursday, June 11, the 47-year-old called out the problems and controversies overshadowing the 2026 World Cup, which is jointly being held between the US, Canada and Mexico, including visa issues, stadium problems and weather problems.

Earlier, the US denied a visa to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was named Africa’s men’s referee of the year in 2025 and was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a men’s World Cup but was barred from entering the US.

It also denied visas to at least 15 Iranian officials and team staff, and Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly held and questioned for almost seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport before being allowed in.

“This will be the worst World Cup we’ll see,” Aboutrika said.

He then said that the World Cup is being used to whitewash genocide and wars, referring to the US role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its unprovoked war on Iran as well as the US capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro.

“Now, anyone who wants to whitewash his reputation hosts a World Cup,” Aboutrika said. “A country complicit in genocide in Gaza is now using the World Cup to whitewash that reputation. A country that waged war on another country and is coming to whitewash its reputation through the World Cup. A country whose president captured another country’s president from his home to whitewash [its reputation] through the World Cup, and says our reputation, we are a democracy, and so on.”

He also criticized FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino for defending the US denying teams and fans visas by saying FIFA cannot decide who governments allow into their countries.

This is not the first time Aboutrika has used his platform to speak out about Gaza.

In January 2008, during the Africa Cup of Nations group stage match against Sudan in Ghana, Aboutrika scored and lifted his jersey to reveal a white undershirt reading "Sympathize with Gaza" in Arabic and English.

At the time, Israel had imposed a blockade on Gaza and cut off its electricity and fuel supply.

Officials gave him a yellow card at the time and fined him for breaching FIFA rules that prohibit political statements during matches.

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