The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has formally requested that FIFA remove the officiating crew from their 3-2 Round of 16 loss to Argentina on July 7, 2026. The EFA alleges “double standards” and “blatant errors” by French referee François Letexier, claiming these decisions unfairly eliminated Egypt from the World Cup.
Official Complaint and Allegations Against Officiating
The Egyptian Football Association has taken the step of petitioning the sport’s world governing body to investigate the officiating team led by French referee François Letexier. According to the EFA, the match featured “serious refereeing mistakes” and “double standards” that ultimately cost Egypt a chance at their first-ever quarter-final appearance. The match took place in Atlanta.
The federation’s president, Hany Abou Rida, submitted the formal complaint to FIFA, explicitly demanding an investigation into the crew’s conduct. As reported by Diario AS, the EFA has requested the exclusion of Letexier and his assistants from the remainder of the 2026 tournament, alleging that their performance constituted a “crime of discrimination” against the Egyptian national team.
Disputed Moments: VAR and Penalty Appeals
The frustration in the Egyptian camp centers on two pivotal sequences that occurred while Egypt held a lead. The first major point of contention was the disallowing of a goal by Mostafa Ziko. While Egypt led 1-0, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to penalize Marwan Attia for stepping on Lisandro Martinez’s foot during the buildup. This decision, which occurred roughly 20 seconds before the goal, effectively wiped the score off the board, according to accounts from The New York Post.
Further outrage followed the match-winning goal scored by Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time. Egyptian players and staff argued that Mohamed Salah was fouled inside the Argentina penalty area just moments before the counter-attack that led to Fernandez’s strike. They maintained that a potential penalty for a shirt pull on Hamdy Fathy by Alexis Mac Allister went unreviewed by the VAR.
For more on this story, see Leandro Trossard Targets Goals Against Iran After World Cup Opener.
Managerial Reaction and Claims of Bias
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan did not mince words following the defeat, openly speculating that external factors were at play to ensure Argentina—and Lionel Messi—remained in the competition.
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running. In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level.”
Hossam Hassan, Egypt manager, via BBC Sport
Hassan further expressed his disillusionment with the sport, stating, “Ordinary life, normal life is unfair, but why isn’t there any fairness in sports?” He confirmed in post-match comments that he intends to boycott the remainder of the 2026 World Cup in protest of the officiating. Mostafa Ziko echoed these sentiments to media outlets, explicitly alleging that the tournament was “fixed” to favor the reigning champions.
Context of the Match and Argentina’s Comeback
Despite the controversy, the match itself was a high-stakes encounter in Atlanta. Egypt initially took a 2-0 lead through Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko, overcoming an early missed penalty by Lionel Messi, which was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. However, Argentina’s late surge saw Cristian Romero score, followed by an equalizer from Messi in the 83rd minute. The match concluded in a 3-2 victory for Argentina, who now advance to face Switzerland in Kansas City.
The loss marks a bitter end for an Egyptian squad. For Argentina, the result confirms their path to the quarter-finals. While the EFA awaits a formal response from FIFA regarding their protest, the incident underscores growing scrutiny regarding the application of video technology and officiating consistency in the 2026 tournament.
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