Egypt national team coach Hossam Hassan has strongly criticised FIFA and the match officials following his side’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
The Pharaohs had taken a commanding 2-0 lead, but the defending champions mounted a comeback, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by creating one goal and scoring another in the dramatic turnaround.
Egypt’s frustrations centred on two key incidents. A goal was disallowed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, while officials did not examine an apparent foul by Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister on Mohamed Salah in the build-up to Enzo Fernández’s stoppage-time winner. Pundits noted similarities between that challenge and an earlier foul on Lisandro Martínez that led to Egypt’s disallowed goal.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Hassan suggested external influences may have affected the outcome. “We looked better than the reigning champions — better in everything — but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” he said. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.”
The Egyptian tactician added that football sometimes involves elements beyond pure sporting merit. “In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level,” Hassan claimed.
Hassan revealed that his team had objected to the appointment of French referee François Letexier before the game, citing Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France. He expressed disappointment that VAR did not prompt the referee to review the Mac Allister incident on Salah. “There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome,” he added.
The coach described the decisions as unfair. “A penalty was ruled out. It was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed. We have been treated unfairly, and it has been an injustice,” Hassan stated.
He recounted a heated exchange with the referee at full time, saying he told Letexier the officiating was unfair and that the official might have “something to hide.”
Egypt forward Mostafa Zico echoed the team’s disappointment. “The match was in our hands and slipped away at the last moment. Strange things happened on the pitch,” he said. Zico noted that Egypt were leading 2-0 before momentum shifted. “We were hard done by today, and everyone saw that… I don’t even know why the second goal was disallowed,” he added.
The result sees Argentina advance in the tournament while Egypt’s campaign comes to an end. The outspoken comments from Hassan and his players have already sparked debate about refereeing standards and consistency in high-stakes World Cup matches.
