Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) react to Egypt’s 3-2 World Cup 2026 last-16 defeat to Argentina by criticising officiating and arguing the tournament is “directed towards” the reigning champions. Multiple outlets report Hassan says the referee’s decisions were unfair, pointing to a disallowed Egypt goal after a video review and another disputed incident in the build-up to Argentina’s winning goal. Egypt’s complaint also includes an allegation that a penalty should have been awarded during the match.
The EFA says it “cannot remain silent” and calls for redress, while other reporting highlights Egypt’s request for the refereeing team to face consequences and that Egypt wants an investigation into alleged “double standards.” The match features a dramatic Argentina comeback from 2-0 down late in the game.
FIFA’s chief of refereeing Pierluigi Collina responds by rejecting “unfounded allegations” about match officials and states that VAR interventions follow established guidelines, including on-field reviews when a foul is judged to have affected a goal. The broader dispute centers on whether VAR and refereeing were applied consistently in key moments.
