The Egyptian Football Association criticized refereeing decisions Wednesday in Egypt’s 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat to Argentina, saying it wouldn’t stay silent over what it called improper use of the Video Assistant Referee system.
Egypt looked set for one of the tournament’s biggest upsets when they led defending champions Argentina 2-0 with 11 minutes left on Tuesday, only to concede three late goals and exit the competition.
The EFA said several decisions during the match directly affected the outcome. “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 federation said in a statement posted on social media.
“A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match. This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Much of the controversy centered on a goal by Egypt’s Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have doubled his side’s lead. The goal was disallowed after a VAR review found a foul by an Egyptian player in the buildup.
Egypt’s frustration grew late in the match when appeals for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge were waved away. Argentina then went upfield and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.
Coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah both voiced disappointment after the match. Several former players and television pundits also questioned the officiating.
“Surely, this is not within VAR’s realm to review this,” former England goalkeeper Rob Green said on Fox’s broadcast of the match, referring to the foul that led to Zico’s goal being disallowed. “It’s a full length of the pitch away.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer also criticized the decision-making process. “Either both are fouls or neither is. But they told us they won’t re-referee,” the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer wrote on social media.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright pointed to another incident involving Salah. “If you’re going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah. He’s been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he’s been caught and then they go up the other end,” Wright said on ITV.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher questioned the consistency of VAR’s application as well. “If that was in the Premier League, LaLiga or Serie A, it would have been a goal even after VAR review,” he said.
According to media reports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida has submitted an official complaint against French referee Francois Letexier and his assistants. FIFA has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment.
Egypt’s exit ends the country’s run in the tournament after a group stage performance that had raised expectations among fans back home. The 2-0 lead they built against Argentina had teams and analysts across the tournament taking notice, with pundits pointing to Egypt’s defensive organization and Salah’s movement up front as key factors in the early advantage.
Argentina’s comeback, meanwhile, keeps alive their bid to defend the title they won in 2022. The defending champions now advance to face the winner of another round-of-16 matchup, though attention in the immediate aftermath has focused almost entirely on the officiating rather than Argentina’s late surge.
The complaint from the EFA adds to a broader conversation around VAR’s role at this World Cup, with multiple pundits across different broadcasters independently raising concerns about consistency in how the system has been applied. Carragher’s comparison to decisions in Europe’s top domestic leagues suggests the debate extends beyond this single match to how VAR standards are applied differently across competitions.
FIFA has not indicated whether it will review the EFA’s complaint or respond to the criticism from Green, Shearer, Wright and Carragher. The organization’s silence so far leaves open the question of whether any of the disputed calls will be formally revisited.
