This is Hassan Sedky, a 25-year-old master's student from Egypt currently studying at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Sedky told BuzzFeed News that he and his friend were at FIFA Fan Fest in Moscow, Russia, for the opening ceremony of the World Cup on Thursday and celebrating with other fans when he suddenly found himself up in the air waving the Egyptian flag.
Sedky said that he didn't know any of the other fans around him and they were cheering for one another's teams when he suddenly found himself in the air after chanting "Vamos Egypto!" a few times after the match between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
"I think that was when the photo was taken," he said, adding that he had no idea because "at that moment, I felt I was on top of the world."
"I saw fans taking pictures, and I think I popped up on the big screen once, but that was it," he said.
The photo was shared by the Desmotivaciones Futbol Facebook page and immediately went viral, being shared more than 37,000 times.
It quickly spread to Reddit, where it was shared in multiple subreddits, with one post reaching the top of Reddit.
Twitter user @Deadpoolquito69 tweeted the photo around the same time, telling BuzzFeed News that he had been sent the photo from a friend.
Mierda CREO QUE VOY A LLORAR aficionados MEXICANOS Y COLOMBIANOS ayudan a un EGIPCIO para que pueda ver el partido de su selección Por eso como dijo @LuisOmarTapia el fútbol es EL DEPORTE MAS BONITO DEL MUNDO https://t.co/69v0bMJ3RZ
@Deadpoolquito69's tweet was retweeted more than 1,800 times and then multiple tweets with the photo also started going viral.
Para que no digan que somos puro desmadre, mexicanos y colombianos ayudando a un egipcio en silla de ruedas para que pueda ver jugar a su país. LA IMAGEN DEL MUNDIAL. ⚽ https://t.co/Jl3xalTItg
Some Colombian and Mexican fans lifting up an Egyptian fan in a wheelchair in the fanzone so he can watch his country play 😩❤ It's really more than just a game 🙏 https://t.co/rPSCvB41f9
People were really moved by the picture.
This has to be the best World Cup picture I’ve seen so far. Colombian and Mexican fans raising this Egyptian fan to watch his national team. Football ❤️ https://t.co/YHKgNJhg2N
They felt that it showed soccer was so much more than just a game.
Mexicans and Colombian fans lifted the wheelchair of an Egyptian fan. This is the real meaning of the #WorldCup And there are people that just call it "football", sadly they would never understand. Te amo, México ❤🇲🇽 https://t.co/ehsKMppnan
And that it beautifully captured the spirit of the World Cup.
Mexico 🇲🇽 and Columbia 🇨🇴 fans lift a disabled Egyptian 🇪🇬 fan so he can clearly watch the game in the fan zone! That’s what’s the #WorldCup is all about ⚽️♥️ https://t.co/GAVd98flQl
Sedky said he had no idea that the photo was going viral until someone tagged him in the photo on Facebook a day later.
"Since then, it's been everywhere," he said. "I didn't expect any of it."
Sedky said that the World Cup has been "an amazing experience" so far, with "people from different races, cultures and countries all coming together for one purpose."
"I don't think I've spent an hour yet where random strangers haven't offered me help," Sedky said.
Sedky was involved in a car accident that shattered his spine when he was 18, but has since started a foundation for the differently abled.