The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has submitted an urgent complaint to FIFA regarding the officiating in their 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Head coach Hossam Hassan and several players have openly questioned the credibility of referee Francois Letexier and the VAR team, alleging that key decisions unfairly favored the defending champions.
Match Controversies
Egypt took a 2-0 lead through goals by Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico, but Argentina staged a late comeback with strikes from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez. However, Egypt contends that the match was marred by two critical incidents. First, Zico had a goal disallowed after VAR determined that Marwan Attia fouled Lisandro Martinez in the build-up. Second, moments before Argentina's winning goal, Egypt believed Mohamed Salah was fouled in the penalty area, but play continued, leading to Fernandez's decisive strike.
Coach and Player Reactions
Speaking to beIN Sports via France24, Hossam Hassan expressed his frustration: "There have been a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch. Negative aspects all around. It's just about credibility, lack of credibility with how things unfolded." He suggested that Argentina may have received preferential treatment: "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running." Hassan also criticized the referee: "The referee is unfair. He's wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is directed towards Argentina."
Forward Mostafa Zico, who scored one goal and had another disallowed, told the BBC: "Both. We were hard done by today, and everyone saw that." He added: "We had a goal disallowed, and we had a penalty. The penalty was turned against us into a counter-attack goal."
FIFA Investigation and Potential Disciplinary Action
The EFA's complaint requests a comprehensive investigation into referee Francois Letexier and the officiating crew, including VAR officials. The federation argued that serious refereeing mistakes and "clear double standards" directly contributed to Egypt's elimination. They also called for strong sanctions if wrongdoing is found.
Additionally, FIFA is reviewing an incident where Hossam Hassan made an X-shaped gesture—recognized as a signal to report racist abuse—after receiving a yellow card. According to African football journalist Micky Jnr, FIFA may decide on disciplinary action against Hassan or investigate the circumstances behind his gesture.
CAF Tribute
Despite the painful exit, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) praised Egypt for their historic World Cup campaign, thanking the team for representing African football with distinction.
