Egypt’s football federation is speaking out against what it calls unfair and inconsistent use of the Video Assistant Referee system following a heartbreaking 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 elimination at the hands of defending champions Argentina on Tuesday.
The Egyptian Football Association released a statement Wednesday saying it refuses to stay silent about refereeing decisions it believes directly changed the outcome of the match. Egypt had appeared on the verge of a massive upset, holding a 2-0 lead with just 11 minutes to play, before Argentina rallied with three late goals to advance.
“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,” the federation wrote in a statement shared on social media.
The EFA added that football experts and analysts from around the world had identified controversial officiating moments during the contest, calling for the highest standards of integrity and transparency in a competition of the FIFA World Cup 2026’s magnitude.
At the center of the dispute was a goal by Egypt’s Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have put his team ahead 3-0. Officials disallowed the score following a VAR review that found a foul by an Egyptian player earlier in the buildup play.
Egypt’s frustration grew further late in the game when a penalty appeal for Hamdy Fathy — who went down under a challenge — was rejected. Argentina then moved up the field and scored the match-winner in the 92nd minute.
Coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah both voiced their disappointment after the final whistle, and former players and television analysts joined in questioning the officiating.
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green, commenting during Fox’s broadcast, questioned whether VAR should have even been involved in reviewing the play that led to Zico’s goal being wiped out. “Surely, this is not within VAR’s [realm] to review this,” Green said. “It’s a full length of the pitch away.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, also took issue with the decision-making. “Either both are fouls or neither is. But they told us they won’t re-referee,” he wrote on social media.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright pointed to a separate incident involving Salah. “If you’re going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah. He’s been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he’s been caught and then they go up the other end,” Wright said on ITV.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also raised questions about VAR consistency. “If that was in the Premier League, LaLiga or Serie A, it would have been a goal even after VAR review,” he said.
According to media reports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida has filed an official complaint against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating crew. FIFA had not yet responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
