Egypt coach Hossam Hassan says his side was “cheated” and treated unfairly after a 3-2 World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Argentina. Egypt led 2-0 before Argentina scored three goals in a late second-half surge to complete a comeback and win the match. Hassan, speaking after the game, argues that officiating decisions—particularly those involving VAR—denied Egypt a deserved result and said he suspects officials wanted the defending world champions, including Lionel Messi, to remain in the tournament.
Several outlets report the key incident Hassan cited: a goal by Mostafa Zico was ruled out while Egypt were leading 1-0, after VAR was used to identify a foul by Lisandro Martinez earlier in the move. Hassan characterizes the overall refereeing and FIFA treatment as unjust, while other coverage frames the dispute as part of broader controversy around VAR and perceived favoritism in major tournaments.
The match result stands, and the dispute centers on Hassan’s allegations about the fairness of specific decisions during the game.
