Egypt Files FIFA Complaint
The team of Egypt that was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in a 3-2 defeat against Argentina has officially complained against the match referees at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
The Egyptian Football Association has requested FIFA to relieve the referees of the last-16 match between Egypt and Argentina from the duties of the World Cup and to conduct a fair investigation of their decision. The association has criticized the referees for applying double standards during the whole game.
Mustafa’s second goal in the second half with Egypt having a 1-0 lead has not been scored after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has recommended to change the decision of the main referee. The decision of the main referee has been changed after the Egyptian player fouled the Argentine player before scoring the goal. This decision is currently being discussed widely.
However, Egypt argues that it was supposed to be a penalty because before scoring the goal, the Argentine player fouled Mohamed in the penalty box of Egypt. The association accuses the referees of not checking the video footage and photos of the incident.
The Egyptian Football Association issued a statement, stating that the team was forced to leave the World Cup due to serious mistakes and double standards by the refereeing team, and demanded that FIFA conduct an impartial investigation into the incident.
Egypt’s head coach Hassan also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the referee’s decision after the match. He claimed that his team played better than Argentina and accused the referee’s decision of affecting the outcome of the match.
At a press conference, he said, “I will go home now and not watch any of the remaining matches of the World Cup. We did not get justice today. We should have had a penalty. One of our goals was also disallowed, but I still do not understand why it was disallowed.”
He added, “I am not satisfied with this result. I am also not satisfied with the way the game went. Rather than calling it a misfortune, it is more appropriate to call it an injustice against us today.”
Hassan further stated that it had always been questioned how the decision of French referees was made. “We performed much better than the defending world champions. We were better in almost every regard. But certain decisions made on the field and external issues before the game have influenced the result.”
Further dissatisfied with the schedule of the match at 12 noon, he said, “The person who scheduled the match at such a time clearly did not know what a game of football is all about. Games of football do not take place at 12 noon. That is lunchtime or resting time. The players have had to have their food at 5:30 in the morning and then play the match in the afternoon, which is quite unnatural.”
Further, questioning the management of the world cup, Hassan stated, “A lot many things both on and off the field have been questionable. The most important of all was the issue of unfairness and transparency in the management of the World Cup.”
Lastly, he commended his players when he stated that, “I am proud of my players. They played brilliantly, but they didn’t get the result they deserved.”
On the other hand, an experienced referee, who acted as the VAR official during the 2022 Qatar World Cup final game, has also cast doubts over the decision that was made during the Argentina-Egypt game. As per him, the VAR mistake can possibly take away a valid goal of Egypt. The referee has officiated in 11 matches during the 2022 Qatar World Cup and is regarded as an expert in the application of video technology in football.
In the meantime, a new controversy has emerged regarding the selection of referees before the quarterfinals game of France against Morocco. French media have shown concerns over the fact that the whole team officiating the game has been selected from Argentina.
The matter that the head referee, the assistant referees, and the VAR team members all are from Argentina has made people question their impartiality. It is claimed that the main cause of the present controversy is that officials from the same nation are put under responsibility in the field as well as the video system.