Egypt’s Football Federation has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA following the Pharaohs’ dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, calling for the removal of the entire officiating team from the tournament.
The federation accused French referee François Letexier and the video assistant referees of making serious decisions that it believes unfairly influenced the outcome of the match.
According to the federation, Egypt had a goal by Mostafa Ziko ruled out after a VAR review identified an earlier foul in the build-up. Although Ziko later scored to restore Egypt’s two-goal advantage, Argentina mounted a comeback through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi before Enzo Fernández netted the decisive winner.
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Egypt also argued that they were denied a penalty in the moments leading to Argentina’s winning goal, claiming Hamdy Fathy was fouled by Alexis Mac Allister inside the penalty area.
The federation’s president, Hany Aburida, has requested that FIFA investigate the officiating crew, including the VAR officials, over what it described as major errors and inconsistent decision-making. The complaint also seeks the officials’ removal from the remainder of the World Cup if the investigation confirms the alleged mistakes.
After the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan expressed frustration with the officiating, insisting his team had been treated unfairly. He suggested the defending champions benefited from decisions that went against Egypt, adding that his players deserved better after their performance.
The controversy has sparked widespread debate as Argentina progressed to the quarter-finals while Egypt’s World Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking end. FIFA has yet to publicly respond to Egypt’s complaint.
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