The Egyptian Football Association has formally asked FIFA to remove the officiating team from the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026 following Egypt’s controversial 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to defending champions Argentina.
In an official statement, the EFA said it had lodged a complaint with FIFA, calling for an investigation into what it described as “double standards” in the refereeing during the knockout clash in Atlanta.
The complaint centres on a second-half VAR decision that ruled out a goal by Mostafa Ziko. With Egypt leading 1-0, VAR penalised midfielder Marwan Attia for stepping on Lisandro Martínez’s foot earlier in the attacking move, resulting in the goal being disallowed.
Egypt also believed captain Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a penalty moments before Argentina launched the stoppage-time attack that secured a dramatic 3-2 victory.
The EFA said its president, Hany Abou Rida, had submitted a formal complaint against French referee Francois Letexier, alleging serious officiating errors that contributed directly to Egypt’s elimination.
“The Egyptian Football Association demanded an investigation into the team of referees and VAR officials over blatant errors and their insistence on not reviewing certain footage,” the statement said.
The federation further called for the referee and the entire officiating crew to be removed from the tournament after the investigation, alleging “the crime of discrimination against the Egyptian national team.”
Argentina completed a stunning comeback after trailing by two goals, with captain Lionel Messi setting up the first goal before scoring the equaliser in the 83rd minute. The reigning world champions then netted a stoppage-time winner to advance to the quarter-finals.
The defeat ended Egypt’s World Cup campaign, with the Pharaohs still searching for their first-ever appearance in the quarter-finals.
