Egypt files complaint with FIFA over refereeing in FIFA World Cup 2026 defeat to Argentina

The federation has called on FIFA to investigate French referee François Letexier and the VAR officials, while also demanding that they be removed from the remainder of the tournament

CAIRO: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-July 8th, 2026) The Egyptian Football Association on Wednesday lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against the match officials who oversaw Egypt's Round of 16 defeat to Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, alleging serious refereeing mistakes and inconsistent use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

The federation has called on FIFA to investigate French referee François Letexier and the VAR officials, while also demanding that they be removed from the remainder of the tournament.

In its complaint, the Egyptian Football Association alleged that the match officials made several crucial errors and applied double standards during the contest, decisions it believes contributed directly to Egypt's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The federation claimed the referee failed to review a number of controversial incidents despite the availability of VAR and accused the officiating team of making clear errors while treating the Egyptian side unfairly. It urged FIFA to conduct a thorough investigation into the officials' performance.

The complaint comes after Egypt's dramatic 3-2 defeat to the Argentina national football team in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, a match that sparked widespread criticism from Egyptian players, coaching staff and football fans over several contentious decisions.

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One of the main incidents occurred in the second half when Egypt had a goal ruled out following a VAR review. The referee disallowed the goal after identifying an alleged foul in the build-up, despite the incident occurring well before the ball reached the penalty area. Egyptian players strongly protested the decision.

Another controversial moment came late in the match when Egypt captain Mohamed Salah went down following a challenge from an Argentine defender inside the penalty area. The referee allowed play to continue without awarding a foul or penalty, a decision that drew sharp criticism from supporters on social media.

Egypt also questioned another penalty appeal after one of its players was brought down inside the box, but the referee again waved play on without consulting VAR.

During the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan repeatedly protested several refereeing decisions and was shown a yellow card by the referee.

Argentina came from behind with three second-half goals to secure a 3-2 victory and book its place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.