ATLANTA: Argentina’s dramatic comeback victory over Egypt has been overshadowed by a major refereeing controversy, with fans, former players, and sports journalists accusing the match officials and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) of making a series of contentious decisions that favored the reigning champions.
The backlash intensified after Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan and forward Mostafa Ziko openly criticized the officiating in their post-match reactions. Soon afterward, social media was flooded with videos highlighting several disputed incidents, while FIFA and French referee François Letexier faced widespread criticism from supporters.
Three key officiating decisions have emerged as the focal point of the controversy.
The first came in the opening half when Argentina right-back Nahuel Molina appeared to strike Egyptian winger Emam Ashour in the face with an outstretched arm. Television replays showed clear contact, but Letexier allowed play to continue without issuing even a yellow card, prompting accusations of inconsistency.
The second flashpoint arrived in the second half when Egypt had a goal from Mostafa Ziko ruled out following a VAR review. The decision sparked outrage among Egyptian supporters, who argued that the intervention unfairly denied their team a crucial goal at a pivotal stage of the match.
“FIFA wanted Argentina and Lionel Messi in the quarter-finals at any cost. Every 50-50 decision went Argentina’s way. It is a disgrace to the game,” several fans wrote on social media, reflecting the anger that spread online after the final whistle.
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Egypt appeared destined to produce one of the biggest upsets in recent international football after Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko fired them into a 2-0 lead, which they held until the 79th minute.
Argentina responded in spectacular fashion. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit in the 79th minute by heading home a perfectly delivered cross from Lionel Messi. Four minutes later, Messi produced a stunning volley to bring the defending champions level at 2-2.
With extra time looming, Enzo Fernández completed the remarkable turnaround by scoring the winner in the second minute of stoppage time, sending Argentina into the quarter-finals.
Although Argentina’s late resurgence earned widespread praise, the refereeing remained the dominant talking point after the match. Critics argued that questionable decisions by both the on-field referee and VAR undermined Egypt’s spirited performance, while calls for FIFA to investigate the officiating have continued to gather momentum.
The allegations regarding the officiating reflect the views expressed by Egypt’s camp and sections of the football community. FIFA and the match officials had not publicly responded to the criticism at the time of writing.
