FIFA Accused of Helping Argentina Defeat Egypt in World Cup Clash

Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 has sparked widespread controversy, with players, coaching staff, and the Egyptian Football Association questioning several key refereeing decisions made during the match.

The Pharaohs appeared on course for a famous victory after taking a 2-0 lead, but Argentina mounted a late comeback to secure a 3-2 win. The result has led to accusations of unfair officiating, particularly after Egypt had a goal ruled out and appealed for a penalty shortly before Argentina scored the decisive winner.

Mostafa Ziko Alleges Tournament Was “Fixed”

Following the final whistle, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko strongly criticized the officiating, claiming the match was handled unfairly.

“The referee was really not fair,” Ziko said. “The injustice was obvious. We played very well at the beginning of the game, but there was unfairness from the start. Even a 2-0 lead wasn’t enough to beat Argentina.”

He went further by suggesting the tournament favored the reigning world champions.

“It is clear that this tournament has been fixed. But God is sufficient for us,” he added.

Speaking later to Canadian broadcaster TSN, Ziko apologized to Egyptian supporters.

“We are so sorry to the people of Egypt. We wanted to make you happy, but it wasn’t meant to be. The referee decided the match. The tournament is being directed toward Argentina.”

Hossam Hassan Furious Over Refereeing Decisions

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan also expressed frustration, claiming crucial decisions consistently went against his side.

According to Hassan, Egypt should have been awarded a penalty, while another penalty appeal was not reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). He also questioned the decision to disallow one of Egypt’s goals.

“We haven’t seen respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “A penalty was denied, another possible penalty wasn’t even checked by VAR, and our second goal was disallowed for reasons we still don’t understand.”

He suggested outside pressure may have influenced the officials.

“It seems there was pressure in favor of Argentina that affected the outcome. Life isn’t always fair, but sport should be. I’m not convinced by what happened in this match.”

Complaint Over Match Scheduling

Hassan also criticized FIFA’s decision to schedule the match at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, arguing that midday kickoffs are unsuitable for elite football, even though Atlanta’s indoor stadium features climate-controlled conditions.

“Whoever scheduled these matches has clearly never played football. You don’t organize a football match at 12 noon,” he said.

Claims of Favoritism Toward Argentina

In additional comments to beIN Sports, Hassan questioned whether FIFA wanted the defending champions to remain in the tournament.

“Perhaps they wanted the world champions to continue. Perhaps they wanted Lionel Messi to stay in the competition,” he said.

“In football, there are sometimes factors beyond tactics and technical quality. The world champions benefited from support at every level.”

Hassan concluded by saying he had lost faith in the tournament’s fairness.

“I told the referee what was happening wasn’t fair. It’s an undeserved victory for Argentina. Once I return home, I will never watch the World Cup again because I no longer believe there is justice in this competition.”

Egyptian Football Association Issues Official Statement

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) later released an official statement criticizing the refereeing and VAR decisions during the match.

According to the federation, several incidents raised serious concerns about the consistency and fairness of the officiating, with decisions that directly affected the outcome.

The EFA noted that football analysts and refereeing experts, both in Egypt and internationally, had highlighted a number of controversial calls made during the game.

The federation emphasized that maintaining integrity, transparency, and fairness in officiating is essential, especially at a tournament as prestigious as the FIFA World Cup.

No Evidence Supporting Match-Fixing Claims

While Egyptian players and officials have accused the refereeing team of unfair decisions and suggested the competition was biased, there is currently no publicly available evidence that the 2026 FIFA World Cup or the Egypt-Argentina match was fixed. FIFA has not announced any investigation or acknowledged wrongdoing regarding the officiating of the match.