The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has officially appealed to FIFA over the controversial officiating in Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, demanding an investigation and the immediate removal of the match officials from the remainder of the tournament.
The complaint follows a highly contentious encounter in Atlanta that ended Egypt’s historic World Cup campaign after Argentina staged a late comeback to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
In its submission, the EFA accused the officiating team, led by French referee François Letexier, of committing what it described as “serious refereeing mistakes” and applying “double standards” in several decisive moments of the match. The federation also requested that the referee, his assistants and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials be stood down from further World Cup assignments while FIFA investigates the matter.
One of the major incidents highlighted by Egypt was the disallowed second-half goal scored by Mostafa Zico. The strike was ruled out after a VAR review determined that midfielder Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez earlier in the build-up by stepping on his foot.
The Pharaohs were also left frustrated after captain Mohamed Salah’s penalty appeals were dismissed late in the contest. Moments after play continued, Argentina launched the counterattack that produced the dramatic stoppage-time winner, sealing Egypt’s elimination.
The EFA argued that several incidents were either inadequately reviewed or overlooked altogether despite what it believes was clear video evidence, insisting the decisions had a direct impact on the outcome of the match.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan did not hide his disappointment after the final whistle, suggesting the officiating favoured the defending champions.
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running,” Hassan said.
Goalscorer Mostafa Zico also voiced his frustration, questioning the fairness of the officiating throughout the contest.
“The referee was really unfair. The injustice was clear. There’s been unfairness right from the start of the match. It is clear that this tournament has been fixed.”
The defeat ended Egypt’s dream of reaching the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in the country’s history, while Argentina advanced to the last eight, where they will face Switzerland.
