Egypt demand FIFA investigation into officiating of Argentina match

After Egypt coach Hossam Hassan outlined several complaints in the immediate aftermath of Argentina's come-from-behind 3-2 win in the round of 16 on Tuesday, the Egyptian Football Foundation has followed up on Wednesday with two statements amplifying their country's issues with the officiating.

The second statement revealed that EFA president Hany Abou Rida filed a formal complaint with FIFA "demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup".

As part of the complaint, Egypt "demanded the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup after investigating these mistakes".

Egypt led 2-0 late in the second half before Argentina reeled off three goals in a 13-minute stretch to advance to the quarterfinals.

That late lead could have been 3-0, but Egypt had a goal in the 58th minute disallowed after a VAR replay discerned an Egypt foul against an Argentina player shortly before the goal.

"The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent," the first statement began, "regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

"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.

"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."

Hassan's translated words after Tuesday's match put Egypt's opinion more bluntly.

"There was neither respect nor fair play today," Hassan said. "Argentina's victory is entirely undeserved."

Argentina plays Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Kansas City.

EGYPT EXTENDS NATIONAL TEAM COACH CONTRACT 

The Egyptian Football Association also approved a contract extension for national team coach Hossam Hassan on Wednesday after Egypt's successful campaign at the World Cup.

"EFA President Hany Abo Rida announced that the association's board had approved the renewal of contracts for Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan and team director Ibrahim Hassan," the EFA said in a statement.

The 59-year-old was appointed in February 2024 and led Egypt to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

He said earlier that he had been working with the national team without a contract since February 2026.

Local media reported that the new contract will run until 2030.