Egypt’s World Cup exit triggers global debate

FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds an Egyptian flag before the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP)

ATLANTA, July 8: Former international soccer stars have questioned the refereeing decisions that influenced Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16, with several claiming the Pharaohs were unfairly treated.

Egypt saw a second-half goal from Mostafa Zizo ruled out after a VAR review following a decision that there had been a foul during the build-up. The Pharaohs also appealed for a late penalty after an incident involving Mohamed Salah inside the box, but their protests were waved away.

Former England defender Jamie Carragher criticized the decision to cancel Egypt’s goal, suggesting the outcome could have been different if the same incident had involved another major team.

Carragher, now a football analyst, questioned VAR’s consistency and said similar situations in top European leagues may have produced a different ruling.

“If that goal had been scored against another team, it probably would have counted. We have seen too many inconsistencies with VAR decisions during this tournament,” Carragher said.

The ruling sparked frustration among Egypt’s players and supporters, who felt the disallowed goal could have changed the course of the match.

Former England striker Alan Shearer also voiced his criticism, sharing footage of Mohamed Salah’s penalty appeal before Argentina scored the decisive goal in stoppage time.

“Either both incidents are fouls, or neither is. We were told the officials did not review the situation. That is disappointing,” Shearer said.

Referee François Letexier faced heavy criticism after using VAR to overturn Egypt’s goal but not reviewing the late penalty appeal, adding to the controversy surrounding the match.

Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra backed Egypt’s claims, saying the team deserved better from the officials after its narrow defeat against the defending champions.

“Egypt was robbed. Soccer is becoming sterile,” Evra said.

Evra argued that VAR should be used to correct clear mistakes rather than remove memorable moments from the game.

“The Egyptian player won possession and launched a great attack that ended with a fantastic goal, but then officials spent minutes looking for a reason to cancel it. VAR should fix obvious errors, not take away special football moments.”The controversy has intensified debate over VAR decisions and their impact on major international tournaments, with Egypt’s exit leaving many questioning whether the Pharaohs received a fair chance against Argentina.