By Bilal Ahmed
Following a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round-of-16, Egypt has accused FIFA of a ‘fix’ and favouring Lionel Messi. The match, held in Atlanta, saw Argentina stage a remarkable comeback after trailing 2-0, securing their spot in the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
The controversy intensified after a goal by Egypt’s Mostafa Zico, which would have extended their lead to 2-0, was disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a foul in the build-up. Egyptian players and coaching staff expressed significant disappointment with the officiating, particularly French referee François Letexier’s decisions.
Controversial Decisions and Egyptian Outcry
Egypt’s manager, Hossam Hassan, stated his team had been “treated unfairly” and “suffered injustice.” He suggested that the tournament might be fixed to keep the reigning world champions, Argentina, and their star player, Lionel Messi, in the competition. Hassan also revealed that the Egyptian side had objected to Letexier’s selection before the game.
The disallowed goal, which occurred when Egypt was leading 1-0, was for a minimal foul by midfielder Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez at the start of the move. Zico, whose goal was denied, echoed his manager’s sentiments, saying, “The referee was really not fair. Not fair. Referee not fair. The injustice was clear.” He added, “It is clear that this tournament has been fixed.”
Furthermore, Egypt felt they were denied a penalty for a foul on Mohamed Salah moments before Argentina scored their winning goal. This incident, combined with the earlier VAR decision, fueled accusations of bias against the African side.
Online reactions, particularly on social media platform X, were immediate and strong, with many users calling out “controversial refereeing” and questioning the integrity of the tournament. Some posts alleged that VAR was used selectively and subjectively, with similar incidents involving Argentina not being reviewed.
An Egyptian football expert, Ahmad Yousef, speaking on a radio programme, highlighted the inconsistency with VAR decisions and how far back officials go to pull a decision. He questioned whether the same consistency would have been applied if the situation involved Lionel Messi or another Argentine player.
Argentina’s Comeback and What Lies Ahead
Despite the controversy, Argentina mounted a stunning comeback. After Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico scored for Egypt, giving them a 2-0 lead, Cristian Romero halved the deficit in the 79th minute. Lionel Messi, who had missed a first-half penalty, then equalised five minutes later, scoring his 21st World Cup goal.
The winning goal came two minutes into injury time when Enzo Fernandez headed home Lautaro Martinez’s cross, completing one of the most remarkable recoveries in World Cup history. This victory marked the 3,000th goal in tournament history.
Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, was visibly emotional after the match, praising Messi’s resilience. Julián Alvarez described Messi as “the best player in the world,” highlighting his crucial contributions when the team needed him most.
Argentina will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, after the Swiss team defeated Colombia on penalties following a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes. Despite their defeat, Egypt received widespread praise for their performance, pushing the defending champions to their limits.
Hossam Hassan, however, has vowed not to watch any more matches in the tournament, stating, “I am not going to watch another match in this tournament.”
