Egyptian Federation Blames Loss on Biased Officiating

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, July 9, 2026

The Egyptian Football Association formally complained about biased refereeing and improper use of VAR following their World Cup loss to Argentina, which included the disallowing of a crucial Egyptian goal. This dispute highlights continuing controversies over officiating standards and VAR application in major international soccer tournaments.

The Egyptian Football Association has lodged a formal complaint regarding the officiating in Egypt’s loss to Argentina during their recent World Cup match, citing concerns over what it described as biased and inconsistent refereeing decisions.

The match, held earlier this week, witnessed Argentina overturn a two-goal deficit by scoring three goals within a span of 13 minutes, marking one of the most remarkable comebacks in the tournament’s history. Egypt initially appeared to have secured a 2-0 advantage after Mostafa Ziko scored nine minutes following an earlier goal. However, controversy arose in the 58th minute when Egypt’s apparent second goal was disallowed following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. The review determined that Egyptian midfielder Marwan Attia had committed a foul against Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez in the buildup, nullifying the goal.

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association criticized the referee’s handling of the VAR system, alleging that it was not applied appropriately and that this impacted the fairness of the match’s outcome. “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 statement said.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan and multiple players expressed disbelief at the officiating following the turnaround, which began when Lionel Messi assisted Cristian Romero’s goal in the 79th minute. Argentina then scored two additional goals while Egypt was reduced by disciplinary actions during the match’s closing phases. Notably, Egypt’s goalkeeping coach, Saafan Elsaghir, was shown a red card, and several Egyptian players received yellow cards as tensions escalated.

The Egyptian side’s grievance reflects broader concerns about officiating standards in high-stakes international fixtures, though Argentine officials have not publicly responded to the criticism. The incident underscores the ongoing debates surrounding the use and interpretation of VAR technology in major tournaments.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.