FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has rejected allegations of bias against World Cup match officials following Argentina’s Round of 16 victory over Egypt, insisting there was no external influence on the officiating.
In comments published on FIFA’s official website, Collina defended the refereeing team led by French official François Letexier, who came under heavy criticism after Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win in Atlanta.
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The controversy erupted after Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan suggested the match officials may have been subjected to “external pressure” to favour the defending champions.
Hassan’s remarks followed a series of contentious decisions, including a VAR intervention that ruled out Mostafa Zico’s goal for a foul earlier in the build-up, denying Egypt what would have been a 2-0 lead.
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‘Unfounded allegations have no place in football’
Collina dismissed any suggestion of misconduct or a conspiracy to keep Argentina in the tournament.
“Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport,” Collina said.
“Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.
“Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President (Gianni Infantino).
“Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best.”
Egypt claim they were ‘cheated’
Following the defeat, Hassan accused officials of denying Egypt a place in the quarter-finals.
“We have been cheated unfairly today; we have suffered injustice,” Hassan said.
He went further by suggesting FIFA wanted to keep the reigning world champions in the competition.
“Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level,” Hassan told beIN Sports.
Collina explains VAR decision
Addressing the decision to disallow Zico’s goal, Collina said the VAR protocol had been applied correctly.
“If a foul is identified in the build-up and is deemed to have had an impact on the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review,” he explained.
“There is no defined limit regarding either the distance from the goal or the amount of time between the incident and the goal.
“We believe that a foul is a foul. Regardless of whether the foul appears ‘obvious’, if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene.”
Collina’s comments come amid growing scrutiny of officiating decisions at the FIFA 2026 World Cup following Egypt’s elimination and the subsequent backlash from supporters and football officials.
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