Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium has sparked widespread criticism of FIFA refereeing and fuelled claims of tournament bias. Egypt, which led 2-0, conceded three late goals and says several key decisions swung the match. Sources describe an Egypt goal being ruled out following a review, with Egypt and supporters arguing the foul call was inconsistent and that the decision prevented them from going 3-1 ahead. They also point to late penalty appeals that were not given. Egypt’s staff protested on the touchline, and players confronted officials after the final whistle. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan says Egypt played better and describes the outcome as “not fair,” questioning why the disallowed goal decision was made and suggesting there was outside influence to keep Argentina in the competition. Mohamed Mustafa Ziko, speaking after the match, criticises the referee as “unfair” and says the decisions wasted “the effort of an entire nation.” The controversy extends to social media, where figures including Garry Kasparov and Alan Shearer call for greater consistency in calls, particularly regarding VAR checks.