World Cup: Egypt demands FIFA probe after controversial Argentina defeat

Egypt’s Football Association has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA following the Pharaohs’ controversial FIFA 2026 World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, accusing match officials of applying “double standards” and calling for the referee and his officiating team to be removed from the tournament.

The complaint comes after Egypt surrendered a 2-0 lead before Argentina mounted a dramatic late comeback to win 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals.

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At the centre of Egypt’s protest are several key refereeing decisions, most notably a VAR intervention that disallowed Mostafa Zico’s goal for an alleged foul.

The Egyptian federation also claims VAR failed to review a challenge on Mohamed Salah moments before Argentina’s stoppage-time winner, arguing the incident should have resulted in a penalty.

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association said it “cannot remain silent” over what it believes were inconsistent officiating standards and has requested that French referee François Letexier and his entire team of match officials be stood down for the remainder of the tournament.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan also questioned the officiating after the match, insisting his side had been denied a place in the quarter-finals.

According to the federation, Hassan said Egypt had been “cheated” and suggested there were “external factors” that helped Argentina and Lionel Messi remain in the competition.

The controversy has also sparked widespread debate on social media, where some users have alleged that Argentina has benefited from favourable refereeing decisions during the tournament. Among the claims circulating online are accusations that the World Cup has been “rigged” in favour of the defending champions.

FIFA had not publicly responded to Egypt’s complaint at the time of writing.