3 min readJul 8, 2026 06:12 PM IST
First published on: Jul 8, 2026 at 06:12 PM IST
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) criticized the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after they were eliminated by Argentina who came back from 0-2 down to win the Round of 16 match 3-2. The EFA said several decisions during the game had directly affected the outcome.
“The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game,” it said in a statement posted on social media.
“A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match. This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026,” it added.
As per a BBC report, the EFA have also filed a complaint to FIFA, demanding an investigation on the double standards of the match officials. The EFA also ‘demanded the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup after investigating these mistakes,” as per the press release, BBC said.
“Hany Abou Rida, president of the Egyptian football federation, filed a complaint with Fifa, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup,” the statement read.
Much of the controversy centred on a goal by Egypt’s Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have doubled his side’s lead. The goal was disallowed after a VAR review identified a foul by an Egyptian player in the buildup.
Egypt’s frustration deepened late in the match when their appeals for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge were waved away, before Argentina went upfield and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.
After the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said that his team “suffered injustice” in Atalanta, accusing the referee and FIFA of being biased in favour of defending champions Argentina.
“We deserved to earn this win, but we are leaving with pride because there was no fair play, no respect,” he told reporters after the match. “We looked better than the reigning champions — better in everything — but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan remarked. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.”
Referee Francois Letexier, of France, gestures to Egypt players during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard) 
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