FIFA responds to controversy following Argentina's match against Egypt

Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrated a hard-fought victory after Argentina edged out Egypt 3-2 in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026.

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FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has spoken out against "unfounded allegations" made against World Cup match officials following Argentina's contentious win over Egypt.

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Collina posted a statement on FIFA's official website, defending the officials who oversaw the match, which was led by French referee Francois Letexier and sparked accusations of malpractice from Egypt coach Hossam Hassan.

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Hassan suggested that the officiating team may have been subjected to "external pressure" to favor Argentina, citing a series of decisions that went against the Egyptians, including a goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul committed earlier in the move.

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Collina rejected any implication of wrongdoing or conspiracy to aid Argentina's World Cup campaign, stating that "unfounded allegations have no place in our sport" and emphasizing the integrity of FIFA World Cup match officials.

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He warned that such allegations can provoke reactions that lead to threats against officials and their families, which is "not right," and asserted that match officials make honest decisions and strive to do their best, just like players and coaches.

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Egypt coach Hassan expressed his belief that his team was a victim of "injustice" at the hands of officials, claiming that they had been "cheated unfairly" and suggesting that FIFA may have wanted to keep Argentina in the competition to allow Messi to continue his run.

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Hassan told BeIn Sports that "in football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects" and implied that the world champions received support at every level, which contributed to their victory.

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Collina addressed the specific decision to disallow Mostafa Zico's goal, which would have given Egypt a 2-0 lead, stating that referees acted correctly after VAR spotted a foul in the build-up and recommended an on-field review.

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He explained that if a foul is identified in the build-up and deemed to have impacted the goal, the VAR will recommend a review, and emphasized that there is no defined limit regarding the distance from the goal or the time between the incident and the goal.

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Collina reiterated that "a foul is a foul," regardless of whether it appears obvious, and that if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene to ensure a fair outcome.