Egypt Files FIFA Complaint Over Argentina Match Refereeing

Egypt’s football federation has formally asked FIFA to investigate the refereeing team that officiated its Round of 16 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, arguing that a series of key decisions altered the course of the match.

Egypt looked set for a place in the quarter-finals after building a 2–0 lead and holding it until the 79th minute. The game then turned dramatically as Argentina scored three unanswered goals through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to win 3–2 and book a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland.

For Egypt, the defeat was not only about surrendering a two-goal advantage. The federation believes several crucial refereeing calls consistently went against the team at decisive moments.

Disputed VAR Decision Became the Turning Point

The biggest point of contention came in the second half when Mostafa Ziko found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review.

French referee François Letexier determined that Lisandro Martínez had been fouled around 20 seconds before the goal was scored, leading to the decision to disallow the effort. Egypt argues that the intervention fundamentally changed the momentum of the match.

As Argentina fought back to level the score at 2–2, Egypt also appealed for a penalty after claiming Julián Álvarez had fouled Mohamed Salah inside the area. Play continued without a spot kick being awarded.

The federation has further questioned the build-up to Enzo Fernández’s winning goal, saying Alexis Mac Allister committed a foul on Hamdy Fathy before the decisive attack. Egypt argues that while VAR was used to review an earlier incident against them, no similar review took place before Argentina’s winner.

Federation Seeks FIFA Investigation

Spanish newspaper Diario AS reported that Egyptian Football Association president Hany Abo Rida has submitted a formal letter to FIFA requesting an investigation into François Letexier and the entire officiating team.

The federation has also urged FIFA to remove the officials from the remaining matches of the tournament while the complaint is examined.

Egypt maintains that the refereeing decisions had a direct impact on the outcome of the match and says it expects FIFA to provide a clear response and conduct an impartial review of the incidents raised in its complaint.