Egypt Team Blasts Refereeing After World Cup Loss to Argentina: "Clear Bias Toward Messi"

The Egypt national football team has launched a fierce criticism of the officiating crew following their defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Egypt suffered a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to Argentina after a hard-fought match at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States today. Despite leading 2-0 until the 75th minute, the team conceded three consecutive goals over a 13-minute span, resulting in a devastating comeback defeat. Following the match, the Egyptian team directed their frustration squarely at the referees. The controversy centers on a moment in second-half stoppage time, just before Argentina scored the winning goal, when Egypt's star forward Mohamed Salah went down in the Argentine penalty area. The Egyptian squad protested vehemently after no penalty was awarded. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan criticized the decision, stating, "We were denied a penalty that should have been called, and they didn't even check the VAR." He added, "It seems FIFA wanted the defending champions, Argentina and Messi, to remain in this tournament," and declared, "I will never watch the World Cup again once I return home." Egyptian forward Mostafa Zico also spoke out, saying, "The refereeing was not fair at all. It seems the winner was already decided to be Argentina." Egyptian media outlets have also joined the chorus of criticism. The local outlet Yalla Kora reported on the match with the provocative headline, "Suspicious French refereeing duo: Argentina advances to the quarterfinals instead of Egypt through foul play." The outlet pointed out that the head referee, François Letexier, has a history of controversial calls in France's Ligue 1. It noted that he was involved in a disputed match between Nantes and Nice in October 2023, which resulted in him receiving death threats from aggrieved Nantes fans. Mohamed Salah, for whom this tournament is expected to be his last World Cup, reportedly gathered his teammates in the locker room after the match to encourage them, saying, "Let us use this experience as a stepping stone to build a better future." Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News | Footage courtesy of Yalla Kora

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