Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the World Cup sparked widespread controversy both on and off the pitch. Egyptian players, coaching staff, and fans expressed doubts regarding several key decisions made during the game.
Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the World Cup sparked widespread controversy both on and off the pitch. Egyptian players, coaching staff, and fans expressed doubts regarding several key decisions made during the game.
Egypt initially led 2-0 and appeared poised to reach the quarter-finals, but subsequently conceded three goals late in the match. Nevertheless, the result was quickly overshadowed by anger over the officiating. Controversial moments included a goal scored by Egypt that was disallowed after video review, rejected penalty appeals late in the game, and protests from the Egyptian bench before Argentina's winning goal in stoppage time.
Dissatisfaction was evident on the sidelines, where members of the Egyptian coaching staff disputed the decisions, and players argued with officials. Many online users stated that these decisions denied Egypt a fair chance to advance, turning the game into one of the most discussed in the playoffs.
Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan criticized the refereeing after the match, asserting that his team played better and that what happened was 'unfair.' He questioned the disallowance of Egypt's goal, suggesting the team could have taken a 3-1 lead before it became 2-2, and hinted at 'marketing' support for previous world champions to remain in the tournament. Hassan added: 'We did everything we should have done, and I am very grateful to my players.'
Egyptian player Mostafa Zico cried during a post-match interview, accusing the referee of 'injustice' and stating that the decisions 'wasted the efforts of an entire nation.' He also characterized the tournament as 'biased.'
Former chess world champion and political commentator Garry Kasparov criticized on X, writing: 'Incredible Egyptian goal disallowed for a far foul, but the same situation a few minutes later, and Argentina's goal is not disallowed! Where is VAR, nothing?' He also stated that FIFA 'looks like a corrupt joke again' and accused it of 'favoring stars.'
Former England striker and football expert Alan Shearer questioned the consistency of the decisions on X, writing: 'Either both are fouls, or neither of them is a foul. But they are not going to review the refereeing, as we were told.'
Dale Johnson, a football correspondent for BBC Sport, noted on X that Egypt's disallowed goal 'completely contradicts how the officiating has been conducted in this tournament.' He emphasized that officials could not adopt a 'lenient approach,' allowing minimal contact, only to then disallow a goal via VAR due to 'very minimal shirt pulling.'
Football analyst Jeronimo Morgans wrote on X that VAR failed to check 'two clear fouls' against Egyptian players in the Argentine penalty area before Enzo Fernandez's goal, while a foul led to the disallowance of Egypt's second goal. He asked: 'Why should the treatment be so one-sided?', calling the match 'absolutely unfair' and stating: 'Egypt has been robbed.'
Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian Nobel laureate and former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote on X in Arabic that FIFA 'has lost much trust and authority' for reasons 'known to all.'
Craig Murray, former British ambassador and political commentator, also shared criticism on X, writing: 'Not my invention, but FIFA = Help to Argentina was blatant.'
Argentina will now focus on the quarter-finals, while Egypt exits the tournament after an impressive campaign where they remained undefeated until the Round of 16. However, this campaign ended in disappointment, as players, coaches, and fans insisted that the team was not given a fair chance to continue participating.