Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan argues with referee Francois Letexier, of France, through the World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Erik S. Lesser/AP
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Erik S. Lesser/AP
ATLANTA — The Egyptian Soccer Affiliation (EFA) stated Wednesday it “cannot remain silent” after what it believes was unfair and biased officiating in Egypt’s 3-2 spherical of 16 loss towards Argentina on Tuesday.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several other gamers criticized the officiating after being left in disbelief as Argentina scored three unanswered objectives in 13 minutes to tug off one of many greatest comebacks in World Cup historical past.
“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimized, or treated as secondary,” the EFA stated in a press release. “It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination.”
FIFA’s chief of refereeing Pierluigi Collina, in a press release issued later Wednesday, stated whereas constructive dialogue about selections would at all times be a part of soccer, “unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”
“Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials,” he stated. “When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”
The EFA stated that the referee failed to make use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system appropriately, resulting in the loss to Argentina.
Egypt appeared to have netted its second aim within the 58th minute, however a VAR evaluation decided that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez early within the buildup as much as the aim.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan talks to his gamers through the World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Chris Carlson/AP
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Chris Carlson/AP
“Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game,” the EFA assertion learn.
Collina stated “during a competition, we prefer not to focus on specific incidents,” however he defended the Attia choice.
“If a foul is identified in the build-up and is deemed to have had an impact on the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review,” Collina stated. “There is no defined limit regarding either the distance from goal or the amount of time between the incident and the goal.”
He stated within the disputed case, Attia “clearly treads on the foot of Argentina No. 6 Lisandro Martínez.”
“We believe that a foul is a foul,” Collina added. “Regardless of whether the foul appears ‘obvious,’ if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene.”
Mostafa Ziko netted later to present Egypt a 2-0 lead, however all momentum shifted onto Argentina’s facet when Lionel Messi assisted Cristian Romero within the 79th minute — the primary of three consecutive objectives.
Hassan held his arms up in an “X” form to sign racial abuse after Argentina’s game-winner two minutes into stoppage time. After the sport, Hassan stated his crew was the sufferer of a soccer institution that favored Messi and Argentina.
Within the dramatic climax to the sport Egypt’s goalkeeping coach Saafan Elsaghir was red-carded and several other yellow playing cards have been dished out to Egyptian gamers. The EFA’s assertion stated that a variety of consultants and analysts have defended Egypt, underlining the significance of integrity, equity and transparency in officiating on soccer’s greatest stage.
The EFA assertion expressed the frustration amongst Egypt gamers, workers and supporters.
“Every player who wears the Egyptian shirt, and every supporter who stands behind the team, deserves fairness, respect, and equal application of the laws of the game.”
