Egypt cry ‘Robbed’ as allegedly Referee, VAR help Messi’s Argentina seal Quarterfinal berth | Other Sports News

A wave of intense scrutiny has descended upon the match referee and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the wake of Argentina’s thrilling 3–2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16. While Argentina celebrated a historic escape, multiple decisions by the officiating crew ignited fury, particularly among Egyptian players and fans.

Social Media Fury as Egypt Claims Injustice
Argentina orchestrated a spectacular rally from a two goal deficit to eliminate Egypt, but the drama on the pitch was quickly overshadowed by significant officiating controversies. Social media users erupted in criticism against match referee Francois Letexier, focusing on several high profile incidents that went in Argentina’s favor.

Early in the match, replays indicated that Argentina’s right back, Nahuel Molina, used an outstretched arm in a challenge on Egypt winger Emam Ashour, yet Molina was not penalized. In the second half, Egyptian fans were left outraged when a penalty was not awarded after superstar Mohamed Salah went down inside the Argentina penalty area. Replays appeared to show Argentine left back Nicolas Tagliafico clipping Salah’s toe as the forward went down, causing him to lose possession.

Experts and Fans Debate Favorable Calls
The culmination of these events has triggered a fierce global debate involving experts, journalists, and past players. Many have openly questioned whether the officiating crew exhibited favoritism toward the reigning world champions, particularly in marginal calls.

This controversy stands in stark contrast to the stunning late fightback led by Lionel Messi. With just 11 minutes remaining in normal time, Egypt looked destined for a famous victory at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium, holding a commanding 2–0 lead after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico.

The defending champions’ resurgence began when Cristian Romero scored with a powerful 79th minute header from a precise Messi cross. Just four minutes later, Messi himself volleyed home the equalizer, sparking wild celebrations from the Argentina faithful in the crowd of 68,239. With extra time looming, Enzo Fernandez headed in a sensational winner two minutes into stoppage time to finally break Egypt’s resistance.

Player Blasts “Unfair” Referee and Alleges Fix
Adding significantly to the controversy were the fiery post match comments from Egyptian forward Mostafa Ziko, the player who had a potential goal disallowed. Around the 60th minute, Ziko scored what momentarily seemed like Egypt’s second goal, but the VAR intervened to rule that Haissem Hassan had fouled Lisandro Martinez in the buildup.

Following the devastating turn of events, Ziko unleashed a passionate and unreserved critique of referee Francois Letexier.

“The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation,” Ziko stated, in comments reported by renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

“The cup is being given to Argentina. They win the World Cup,” a furious Ziko added. “No fair, no fair, referee, no fair. Injustice, clear and obvious injustice. From the start of the match, he was against us. It is not allowed for us to leave as 2-0 winners against Argentina. The tournament is fixed,” he further said.

For much of the match, it appeared that the legendary Lionel Messi, now 39, would face a heartbreaking conclusion to perhaps his final World Cup. However, the historic turnaround allows Argentina to advance and they will next face Switzerland in the quarter finals.