Argentina staged a stunning comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, but the match ended amid major controversy over officiating.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan strongly criticised the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), claiming several crucial decisions unfairly favoured Argentina and influenced the outcome of the match.
Egypt Let Two-Goal Lead Slip
Egypt appeared to be cruising towards a famous victory after taking a 2-0 lead, but Argentina produced a remarkable late fightback, scoring three goals to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Despite the comeback, much of the post-match discussion centred on two controversial refereeing decisions.
1. Disallowed Goal Sparks Debate
One of the biggest flashpoints came when Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Ziko scored what initially appeared to be Egypt’s second goal.
However, after a VAR review, referee Francois Letexier ruled the goal out for a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez during the build-up.
The controversy stemmed from the fact that:
- The alleged foul occurred deep inside Egypt’s own half.
- Around 10 seconds elapsed between the challenge and the goal.
- Egypt launched a long counter-attack before scoring.
Many fans and pundits questioned whether VAR should intervene over an incident so far removed from the goal-scoring sequence.
Although Egypt later made it 2-0, critics argued the earlier disallowed goal could have significantly changed the course of the match.
2. Egypt Denied Late Penalty
Another controversial moment arrived late in the game when Egypt appealed for a penalty after Mohamed Salah went down inside Argentina’s penalty area.
The appeals centred on:
- An alleged shirt pull.
- Possible contact involving Julian Alvarez.
Referee Letexier allowed play to continue, and VAR chose not to recommend an on-field review.
The decision sparked angry protests from the Egyptian bench.
Critics argued it was inconsistent that VAR intervened to overturn Egypt’s earlier goal but declined to review what many considered a stronger penalty claim.
Hossam Hassan Questions Consistency
Following the match, Hossam Hassan criticised the officiating, suggesting the referee and VAR applied different standards to similar incidents.
The Egyptian camp also felt several Argentine players escaped yellow cards for fouls that would ordinarily have been punished.
Argentina Completes Remarkable Comeback
Despite the controversy, Argentina completed an extraordinary turnaround.
With the score level late in stoppage time, Enzo Fernández scored the winning goal to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory and send the defending champions into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Egypt’s players and coaching staff, however, left the pitch convinced that controversial officiating played a significant role in their elimination.