Egypt asks FIFA to investigate officiating in Argentina defeat

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has lodged an official complaint with FIFA over Egypt‘s controversial 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling for the match officials to be removed from the remainder of the tournament.

The EFA has requested an investigation into French referee François Letexier and the VAR team, alleging that key officiating decisions unfairly influenced the outcome of the match in Atlanta.

Egypt believed they had doubled their lead in the second half when Mostafa Zico scored, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. Officials determined that midfielder Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martínez earlier in the move after stepping on the defender’s foot.

The Pharaohs also appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty after Mohamed Salah went down in the area shortly before Argentina scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a statement, the EFA said its president, Hany Abou Rida, had submitted a formal complaint to FIFA, citing what it described as “serious refereeing mistakes” and “double standards” that contributed to Egypt’s elimination.

The federation also called for the referee, his assistants and the VAR officials to be excluded from the rest of the tournament pending the outcome of the investigation. It further argued that some incidents were not properly reviewed despite clear video evidence.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan questioned the officiating after the match.

“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running,” he said.

Goalscorer Mostafa Zico also criticised the officials.

“The referee was really unfair. The injustice was clear. There’s been unfairness right from the start of the match. It is clear that this tournament has been fixed,” he said.

The defeat ended Egypt’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, while defending champions Argentina advanced to the last eight, where they will face Switzerland.