Argentina advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals after overturning a 2-0 deficit to defeat Egypt 3-1, a match marked by allegations of “rigged” officiating from the Egyptian camp. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and player Ziko claimed the tournament is fixed to favor the defending champions following a controversial VAR-annulled goal, though NRK football expert Kristoffer Løkberg has dismissed these corruption claims as baseless.
Why is Egypt accusing FIFA of rigging the World Cup?
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan alleged the team was treated “unfairly” after a second goal was annulled by VAR due to a foul committed at the start of the attack. Hassan stated that “some people are working against us” and claimed officials are favoring the reigning champions. Player Ziko escalated these claims, asserting that the “entire championship is rigged.”
The tension peaked when Hassan received a yellow card for his protests toward referee François Letexier. Following the match, Hassan announced he would no longer watch any further games in the tournament as a way of “standing up” for himself.
How do experts view the VAR controversy?
NRK football experts Kristoffer Løkberg and Andrine Hegerberg argue the issue is a lack of consistency in VAR rules rather than corruption. Løkberg stated he is “tired” of corruption accusations based on such incidents, while Hegerberg maintained the annulled goal was correctly overturned because the initial ball win involved “illegal means.”
Løkberg, who previously supported VAR, now argues the technology is problematic because rules are practiced inconsistently. He noted there is no exact definition regarding how many plays back VAR should review before a decisive situation, leading to the frustration seen in the Egypt camp.
What happened during Argentina’s comeback?
The match remained tense after Lionel Messi missed a penalty, marking his second penalty miss of the current tournament. According to Opta, Messi is the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup. He has converted only half of the eight penalties he has taken across his World Cup career.
Despite the setback, Argentina scored three times in the closing minutes to secure a 3-1 victory. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was visibly emotional during his post-match interview, while Messi described the comeback as “this is what the World Cup is.”
Argentina vs. Switzerland: What comes next?
Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Current probability data places Spain as the tournament favorite, followed by France and England. Argentina currently sits fourth among the listed teams.
| Team | Win Probability |
|---|---|
| Spain | – |
| France | – |