Egypt file FIFA complaint after controversial World Cup defeat to Argentina

The Egyptian Football Association has demanded an investigation into the officiating team after a series of controversial decisions during Egypt's dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Egypt's World Cup campaign ended in the Round of 16 after they lost 3-2 to defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Tuesday, despite leading 2-0 for the first 79 minutes of the game. The match has since sparked debate over several refereeing decisions. 

Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt 3-2, with Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez scoring in the final stages,  securing a place in the quarter-finals against Switzerland. 

For Egypt, however, the focus has shifted away from the result itself and onto several refereeing decisions that they believe altered the course of the match.

What happened during the match?

Egypt held a 2-0 lead over the defending champions before the match turned around.

The first major flashpoint came when Mostafa Zico had a goal ruled out following a VAR review, with referee Francois Letexier ruling there had been a foul on Lisandro Martinez earlier in the build-up.

Later, with the match level, Egypt appealed for a penalty after Julian Alvarez's challenge on Mo Salah. Moments later, Egypt also claimed Alexis Mac Allister fouled Hamdi Fathy in the build-up to Enzo Fernandez's winning goal.

Egypt argues the incidents were handled inconsistently, with the foul that led to its disallowed goal reviewed and penalised, while play continued without a VAR review before Argentina's winning goal.

Egyptian FA files official complaint

Following the match, Hany Abo Rida, president of the Egyptian Football Association, submitted a formal complaint to FIFA requesting a full investigation into the situation.

According to the federation, the complaint alleges that serious refereeing mistakes directly contributed to Egypt's elimination from the tournament.

Among the issues raised are:

• The decision to disallow Egypt's second goal following a VAR review.

• The failure to award Egypt a penalty late in the match.

• The lack of a VAR review for incidents involving Mohamed Salah and Hamdi Fathy before Argentina's winning goal.

• Claims that there was inconsistent application of VAR during key moments of the match.

The Egyptian FA has also requested an investigation into referee Francois Letexier, his on-field assistants and the VAR team, and has asked FIFA to remove the officiating crew from the remainder of the tournament pending the outcome of that investigation.

In its statement, the federation praised the Egyptian players' performance against the defending champions, describing them as "heroes", while apologising to supporters for failing to hold onto their lead.

FIFA yet to respond

The complaint adds to growing scrutiny over refereeing standards during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with several teams and football bodies having raised concerns over officiating decisions during the tournament.

FIFA has not yet responded publicly to Egypt's complaint or indicated whether it will open an investigation into the officials involved.

Argentina, meanwhile, advance to the quarter-finals, while Egypt's memorable World Cup campaign comes to an end amid continuing debate over one of the tournament's most controversial matches.

Have similar complaints been made before?

While it is uncommon for national football associations to formally ask FIFA to investigate referees or remove officials from a tournament, it is not unprecedented.

• FIFA World Cup 2018: Egypt has made a similar complaint before where the Egyptian FA asked FIFA to investigate the officiating after its group-stage defeat to hosts Russia, but the result stood and no public action was taken against the referees.

• FIFA World Cup 2002: Another notable case was when Italy called for an investigation following its Round of 16 defeat to South Korea. FIFA rejected the claims and the result remained unchanged.

• Earlier in the 2026 World Cup, Algeria also lodged a complaint over refereeing decisions following its defeat to Argentina.

Historically, FIFA reviews refereeing performances internally, but complaints have rarely led to World Cup results being overturned or officials being removed solely at the request of a national association.