The Egyptian Football Federation has launched a strong protest following heated controversies that marred their dramatic Round of 16 clash against defending champions Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egypt fought valiantly but fell 3-2 in a match filled with disputed decisions that many believe robbed them of a historic quarter-final berth.
Hany Aburida, President of the Egyptian Football Federation, immediately filed a formal complaint with FIFA. He demands a full investigation into French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team, citing serious refereeing errors, double standards, and potential bias that directly contributed to Egypt’s elimination.
In a strongly worded statement, the federation highlighted multiple incidents. Early in the match, officials disallowed a goal by Mostafa Ziko when Egypt led 1-0. VAR intervened to spot an alleged foul on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez from much earlier in the build-up.
Minutes later, Ziko scored again to put the Pharaohs 2-0 ahead, placing them on the brink of a stunning upset. However, Argentina fought back through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi to level the score before Enzo Fernández netted the dramatic winner.
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Egypt claims officials ignored a clear penalty in the build-up to Argentina’s decisive goal. They allege Alexis Mac Allister pulled Hamdy Fathy, an incident the referee and VAR team failed to review properly. The federation also accuses the officials of refusing to examine footage that could have favored Egypt.
Aburida has called for the exclusion of Letexier and his entire crew from the remainder of the tournament. “We see in it the Pharaohs’ right to a correct goal and a penalty,” the statement asserted, labeling the errors as blatant and discriminatory.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan echoed these sentiments passionately after the final whistle. “We have been cheated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice,” he told journalists.
Hassan suggested external factors influenced the outcome, implying officials wanted to keep the world champions and Lionel Messi in the competition.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level,” he added in comments to beIN Sports.