The former Liverpool teammates were on opposing sides in the controversial World Cup round of 16 between Egypt and Argentina
Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt.
Former Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister shared a moment after full-time(Image: Sebastian Frej, Getty Images)
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Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister shared a heartfelt moment amid the mayhem that followed the conclusion of Egypt's World Cup clash with Argentina. Salah's side were dumped out of the tournament following a stunning fightback from his former Liverpool teammate's nation.
Argentina netted three times in fewer than 15 minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit and secure their place in the quarter-finals. They will take on Switzerland after overcoming Colombia on penalties in the other round-of-16 match.
The match between Egypt and Argentina was not without its contentious moments, however, and Egypt were left incensed by the manner in which the reigning world champions snatched their win. The Pharaohs were convinced that Salah had been fouled by Julian Alvarez before Enzo Fernandez headed home in stoppage time.
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One of Egypt's coaching staff was dismissed for their protests, while manager Hossam Hassan was brandished a yellow card after repeatedly forming an 'X' with his arms - FIFA's recognised "No Racism Gesture" which is intended to flag an incident of racial abuse to the match official.
There was controversy before the incident, with Egypt having a goal ruled out by VAR earlier in the second half after Marwan Attia was adjudged to have fouled Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez in the build-up to the goal, robbing Salah of an assist.
Despite the outrage from Egypt at the final whistle, and the jubilation felt throughout the Argentine camp, Salah and Mac Allister demonstrated their mutual admiration as they took a moment to embrace one another and exchange shirts. The duo are no longer teammates, with Salah departing Liverpool this summer following an agreement with the club to waive the final year of his deal.
Former Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister with Referee Francois Letexier during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt.
Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister came up against each other in the World Cup. (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA, Getty Images)
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Mac Allister will rejoin the Reds squad later in the summer, with some of Liverpool's players having already returned to training for the beginning of pre-season this week.
Despite Salah conducting himself relatively composedly following his side's agonising defeat, the controversy continues amongst his fellow countrymen, with winger Mostafa Ziko - whose goal was ruled out before he doubled Egypt's advantage in the second half - going so far as to suggest that the World Cup has been "rigged".
In an interview with one of the tournament's broadcasters (via BBC Sport), Ziko said: "The referee was really not fair. Not fair.
"The referee was not fair. The injustice was clear. We did a good job in the early stages of the match.
"There's been an unfairness right from the start of the match. A 2-0 lead isn't enough to beat Argentina.
"It's clear that this tournament has been fixed. But God is sufficient for us."
Ziko's remarks come alongside claims from Egypt boss Hassan that his team had been "treated unfairly" and "suffered injustice". Hassan went on to suggest that the outcome had been influenced by "internal" and "external" factors, and that Egypt had raised objections to the appointment of Francois Letexier as the referee.