The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has disclosed that one of its institutional email accounts may have been compromised following Egypt's controversial Round of 16 defeat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The alleged cyberattack comes amid ongoing anger from Egyptian supporters over officiating in the knockout clash, which ended in Argentina's favour after several disputed decisions.
Unauthorised Access Detected
According to reports from The New York Times, journalists received emails from an AFA account claiming that Egypt had been eliminated because of 'corrupt refereeing decisions.' The messages were reportedly sent after individuals believed to be Egyptian hackers gained unauthorised access to part of the federation's database.
The Argentine federation quickly dismissed the emails and insisted they were not authorised by the organisation. In a statement, the AFA said: 'We would like to inform you that we have detected the possible sending of emails from one of our institutional accounts that were not generated or authorised by our team.'
Public Urged to Ignore Suspicious Emails
The federation urged recipients not to engage with any suspicious messages. 'We ask that you disregard any message you have recently received from our account that seems unusual, especially if it contains links, attachments or requests for personal information,' the AFA added.
The AFA noted that it was working with its technical department to determine what happened. 'There is a possibility that our account has been subject to unauthorised access, so we are working to clarify what happened and take the necessary security measures. Our systems have the appropriate security and safeguards in place. The incident is being analysed to determine its origin and scope.'
Fallout from Egypt's World Cup Exit Continues
Egypt's elimination has remained one of the tournament's biggest talking points, with players, coaches and supporters questioning several refereeing decisions during the match against Argentina. The latest cyber incident has added another dimension to the controversy, although there is currently no official confirmation identifying those responsible for the alleged breach.
With Argentina still chasing another World Cup title, football authorities will hope attention quickly returns to events on the pitch rather than the growing off-field dispute.
FIFA Defended Match Officials
Legit.ng previously reported that FIFA head of referees Pierluigi Collina defended the official who handled Argentina's controversial World Cup match against Egypt. Collina's comments followed widespread criticism of the referee and calls for his removal from the tournament after several contentious decisions fuelled allegations that Argentina had received favourable treatment during the competition.
