Egypt coach Hossam Hassan launched an extraordinary attack on match officials after his side’s 3-2 defeat by Argentina in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, claiming the Pharaohs had been “unfairly treated” and suggesting there was outside influence aimed at keeping Lionel Messi and the defending tournament champions. Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after opening a two-goal lead in Atlanta, only for Argentina to score three times in the final stages through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to book a place in the quarter-finals. Hassan, however, insisted that the contest revolved around a series of controversial office decisions rather than events on the field alone.
Hassan says Egypt suffered an “injustice” against Argentina
Speaking after the match, Hassan argued that Egypt had outplayed the reigning world champions and claimed that several key refereeing decisions prevented his team from reaching the quarter-finals. “We saw better than the reigning champions, better in everything, but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan told reporters. “Maybe they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Maybe they wanted Messi to stay in the race. “In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspect. The world champion received support at every level.” The Egypt coach repeatedly returned to the office during his press conference, insisting that his players did not receive the respect they deserved. “We didn’t see respect or fair play,” he said. “A penalty was ruled out. It was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was noticeably, for whatever reason, disallowed. “I want to put it in nice words and say: ‘Fortunata’, but we were treated unfairly and it was an injustice.” He was equally emphatic while speaking to the media afterwards. “I don’t want to put it down and talk about hard luck. We were cheated unfairly today; we suffered injustice.”
Disallowed goal, penalty appeals and referee appointment fuel Egypt’s frustration
Egypt’s anger is centered on several major incidents that unfolded during the match. Mostafa Zico thought he had extended Egypt’s lead as they led 1-0, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review identified a foul on Lisandro Martínez early in the attacking move. Zico then scored to restore Egypt’s two-goal lead before Argentina mounted their dramatic comeback, but the controversy continued after Enzo Fernández scored the stoppage-time winner. The Egyptians believed a penalty should instead have been awarded after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdy Fathy’s shirt during the build-up, with Hassan questioning why the incident was never reviewed. “There was no respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “A penalty was ruled out, it was not even checked by VAR. A second goal was noticeably disallowed. There was not even a VAR check when we saw all the images of the shirt that was pulled.”
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan talks with referee Francois Letexier of France during the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Egypt’s leader also questioned FIFA’s appointment of French referee François Letexier for the match, noting that his federation had raised concerns before kickoff over France’s rivalry with Argentina after the 2022 World Cup finals. “It seems that there is pressure from the Argentine side on this result,” said Hassan. “We opposed the selection of the referee because of the French situation, but everyone has to suffer at some point, and we suffered.” After the final whistle, Hassan was involved in a heated verbal exchange with Letexier and later revealed what he said to the official. “What I said to the referee was, ‘This is unfair,'” Hassan explained. “I said maybe he carries a scar or has something to hide. “If someone tries to hide something, he often fails to hide it.”
Mostafa Zico echoes concerns while Hassan criticizes the planning
Striker Mostafa Zico admitted it was painful to see Egypt’s advantage slip away after leading 2-0 and also questioned several refereeing decisions. “Hard luck. The match was in our hands and it slipped away at the last moment,” said Zico. “Strange things have happened on the field. “We were hard done today, and everyone saw it. I will not talk about something like that. We won 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against us and worked against us. I don’t even know why the second goal was disallowed, I don’t see any reason for that. “But we need to find a solution so that a second goal does not come. He wanted to disallow even the third, but thank God, God did not grant him success.”
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, left, before the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Hassan also expressed frustration with the scheduling of the match, questioning why both teams were invited to play a noon kickoff just four days after their Round of 32 victories. “Whoever plans those games has never played football,” he said. “You never plan a game for 12 o’clock in the evening. At noon you go for a walk or to eat brunch; you don’t go to play football. “When do the players have to eat? At 7:30 am? “There were a lot of things to be questioned on and off the field.” Despite his anger at the official, Hassan praised the commitment shown by his team, pointing out that most of his players compete domestically rather than in major European leagues. “I’m very, very pleased with the effort they put in,” he said. “Most of our players come from the Egyptian domestic league, while many players in other national teams are based in Europe and live in that professional environment. “Yet with mainly local players, apart from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, we were able to compete with anyone.” The emotional defeat also left Hassan questioning whether he wanted to continue watching the rest of the tournament. “I don’t want to continue following the matches of this World Cup,” he said. “That’s my way of talking.”
