Egypt reacted furiously after its dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Pharaohs led 2-0 through goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko before Argentina completed a stunning late comeback with strikes from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández. Despite their impressive performance, the Egyptian camp left Atlanta convinced that key refereeing decisions denied them a place in the quarter-finals.
The biggest controversy centered on French referee François Letexier’s decision to disallow Haissem Hassan’s goal early in the second half after a VAR review identified a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez in the build-up. The decision prevented Egypt from extending its lead and shifted the momentum in Argentina’s favor. After the final whistle, Ziko openly questioned the officiating, claiming the referee repeatedly worked against Egypt throughout the match.
Head coach Hossam Hassan went even further in his post-match comments. He claimed the match had been “clearly fixed” and suggested commercial interests influenced the outcome to keep Lionel Messi and Argentina in the tournament.
The Egyptian manager insisted his team deserved to qualify after outperforming the defending champions for long periods. While Argentina celebrated a remarkable comeback and advanced to the quarter-finals, Egypt exited the 2026 FIFA World Cup with deep frustration and a strong sense of injustice.
