08/07/2026
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08/07/2026
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NEW YORK, Jul 8: Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched an extraordinary attack on the referee and questioned the integrity of the FIFA World Cup after his side suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to reigning champions Argentina in a dramatic last-16 clash.
The Pharaohs looked destined for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament after racing into a 2-0 lead, only to watch Argentina produce a stunning comeback, scoring three goals in just 13 minutes. Enzo Fernandez's 92nd-minute winner sealed Argentina's escape and a place in the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
But the dramatic finale was overshadowed by furious protests from the Egyptian camp, who insisted they were denied a clear penalty moments before Argentina launched the counter-attack that led to the winning goal.
Hassan accused French referee Francois Letexier of being "unfair" and claimed crucial VAR reviews were ignored at decisive moments.
"Life is unfair. The world is unfair. Okay, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? I'm not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match," Hassan said after the game.
"The referee is unfair. God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is directed towards Argentina."
Egypt's anger centered on an incident in which Julian Alvarez appeared to catch Mohamed Salah's foot inside the penalty area before winning possession. Play continued, and VAR did not appear to intervene.
The Egyptians were also left incensed after Alexis Mac Allister allegedly pulled Hamdi Fathy's shirt inside the box without a review, while an earlier goal by Zico was ruled out following a VAR check for a foul in the build-up.
Hassan said the decisions robbed his side of a historic victory.
"We haven't seen respect or fair play."
"A penalty for us was ruled out. It was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed."
"We have all seen the shirt pulled back and not even a VAR check."
"There seems to have been pressure on the Argentine side on the referee that has brought about this outcome."
The Egyptian coach was shown a yellow card after Argentina's winning goal for protesting on the touchline.
Forward Zico, who scored once and had another goal disallowed, echoed his coach's frustration after the final whistle, saying the officiating changed the course of the match.
"Both. We were hard done by today, and everyone saw that," he said when asked whether his tears were for the defeat or the refereeing.
"We were winning 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against us. I don't even know why the second goal was disallowed."
"The refereeing was obvious in front of everyone. We had a goal disallowed, and we had a penalty. The penalty was turned against us into a counter-attack goal."
The controversy has ignited fierce debate over the officiating as Argentina survived a major scare to keep alive their bid to defend the World Cup title.
