Egypt file complaint against referee after controversial exit
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ATLANTA: The Egyptian football federation said on Wednesday it had asked for the officiating team who handled the Pharoahs loss 3-2 last-16 to Argentina to be thrown out of the World Cup.
“Hany Aburida, President of the Egyptian Football Federation, filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier... after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup,” said a statement from the federation.
On Tuesday evening, Letexes ruled out a Mostafa Zico goal ruled out when they were leading 1-0 after VAR intervened to spot a foul on Lisandro Martinez much earlier in the move.
A few minutes later, Zico did put Egyptian 2-0 up and on the brink of a place in the last eight for the first time but there was further controversy in added time, after Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi had brought the champions level.
In the build-up to Argentina’s winner scored by Enzo Fernandez, Egypt believe they should have instead been awarded a penalty for a pull by Alexis Mac Allister on Hamdy Fathy.
“Aburida demanded the investigation of the entire team of referees, including the video technology referees, because of the blatant errors and insisting on not reviewing some of the footage that we believe are in favour of the Egyptian national team, and we see in it the Pharaohs’ right to a correct goal and a penalty,” said the Egyptian statement.
It added that the president had also “demanded the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup after investigating these mistakes and proving the crime of discrimination against the Egyptian national team”.
The statement echoed remarks by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan immediately after the game.
“I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice,” Hassan told journalists.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play. There has not been respect or fair play.”
Hassan told BeIN: “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level.”
“I am not going to continue following the matches of this World Cup, watching the matches of this World Cup,” he added. “This is my own way of speaking up.”
Hassan also complained about the scheduling of the match for a noon kick-off (1600GMT), just four days after both sides had won their round -of-32 matches.
“Whoever schedules those matches has never played football. You never schedule a game for 12pm. At noon you go for a walk or to eat brunch, you do not go to play football.
“When are the players supposed to eat? At 7.30am? “There have been a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch.”
Several former players and television pundits also questioned the officiating.
“Surely, this is not within VAR’s to review this,” former England goalkeeper Rob Green said on Fox’s broadcast of the match, referring to the foul that led to Zico’s goal being quashed. “It’s a full length of the pitch away.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer also criticised the decision-making process.
“Either both are fouls or neither is. But they told us they won’t re-referee,” the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer wrote on social media.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright pointed to another incident involving Mohamed 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 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.
Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2026
