Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko publicly accuses FIFA and match officials of rigging the 2026 World Cup match in which Argentina beats Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. Multiple outlets report that Ziko claims decisions by the referee influenced the outcome, including that a goal involving Egypt was disallowed and that Egypt should have been awarded a penalty during the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal. He also says the officiating repeatedly “kept coming at” Egypt and, in some accounts, suggests the tournament is biased toward Argentina. The claims follow Egypt’s complaint to football’s governing body, the Egyptian Football Association challenging the referee’s calls made by French official François Letexier during the match. In response, FIFA is reported to have issued an official rebuttal to Egypt’s allegations and to have pushed back against the “fix” or “rigged” characterization. The dispute centers on the same set of disputed match decisions and continues through a back-and-forth between FIFA and Egypt over what officials did during the game.
Egypt’s Ziko alleges World Cup match was “rigged” after Argentina’s 3-2 win
Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko publicly accuses FIFA and match officials of rigging the 2026 World Cup match in which Argentina beats Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. Multiple outlets report that Ziko claims...
- Argentina defeats Egypt 3-2 in the World Cup round of 16.
- Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko alleges the match was “rigged” or biased toward Argentina.
- Egypt’s complaint includes claims about disputed officiating, including a disallowed Egypt goal and an alleged penalty in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal.
- FIFA responds to Egypt’s “fix” allegations following the match.
- Reports cite referee François Letexier as the official involved in the disputed decisions.
The back-and-forth between FIFA and Egypt is continuing after the drama in the Round of 16 clash with Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Egypt’s controversy stemmed from two critical decisions by French referee Francois Letexier during the clash with Argentina.
1 month agoFootball’s governing body has come under fire by the Egyptian FA over the decisions made by match officials during the World Cup last-16 encounter with Argentina
1 month agoFootball’s governing body has come under fire by the Egyptian FA over the decisions made by match officials during the World Cup last-16 encounter with Argentina
1 month agoEgypt is fuming, while the football world is divided. What turned out to be a dramatic 3-2 comeback win by Argentina against Egypt in a FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match was also a controversial one...
1 month agoArgentina came back from two goals down to beat Egypt in the World Cup round of 16 on Tuesday, and the match sparked plenty of controversy, especially around a disallowed goal scored by Egypt winger Mostafa Zico. There was plenty of reaction from the Egypt camp, including from Zico himself. “It’s clear that this tournament […] The post “The referee was not fair” – Egypt winger Mostafa Zico after World Cup exit to Argentina (Video) appeared first on SoccerNews.
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