New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has become the latest high-profile figure to back Egypt after their controversial 3-2 defeat. FIFA World Cup Argentina’s round of 16 defeat, declaring that the African side had been “robbed” in a remark that quickly went viral amid the growing debate over the officiating.Mamdani’s comments came a day after Lionel Messi inspired defending champions Argentina to one of the most dramatic comebacks in World Cup history, overturning a 2-0 deficit in the final 15 minutes to eliminate Mohamed Salah’s Egypt and book a place in the quarter-finals.
Mamdani backs Egypt with ‘stolen’ viral remark.
Speaking at the launch of New York City’s “Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Service” initiative, Mamdani unexpectedly referenced the World Cup controversy while highlighting how commuters will benefit from faster bus services.“Now, if you take the bus to work, that adds up quickly,” said Mamdani. “In six months, you spent 24 hours less on the bus. Over the course of the year, you saved more than two days of commuting time.”He continued, “That means breakfast with your family. It means having time to discuss balls and hits at your kids’ Little League game. It means getting home to sleep.”Next came the line that drew loud applause from the audience.“It means you agree with your friends that Egypt was robbed yesterday. Above all, it means that time has returned to New Yorkers who did not have nearly enough.”The mayor’s observation instantly resonated with supporters who believe Egypt were denied a fair result, although it did nothing to change the official result which sent Argentina through after Messi inspired a stunning late breakthrough.Mamdani’s comments also echoed a growing chorus of criticism from Egyptian players, coaches and fans, many of whom claimed key refereeing decisions favored the reigning world champions.
VAR controversy fuels ‘rigged’ claims after Argentina comeback
The controversy was centered on several focal points that dramatically changed the momentum of the party.Early in the second half, Egypt thought they had doubled their lead when Mostafa Ziko found the net following an impressive team move. However, after a lengthy VAR review, referee officials ruled that Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martínez earlier in the build-up, leading to the disallowed goal.Many analysts and supporters argued that the foul happened too early for VAR to intervene, making the decision one of the biggest talking points of the tournament.Egypt even managed to establish a 2-0 lead soon after, but Argentina came back spectacularly. Messi sparked the revival by assisting Cristian Romero in the 79th minute, before Argentina scored twice, completing an extraordinary 3-2 victory in stoppage time.Another controversial moment came when Julián Álvarez escaped without conceding a penalty after a challenge on Salah, adding further fuel to accusations that the crucial calls favored Argentina.Later, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, several players and the Egyptian Football Association openly questioned the official, some describing the tournament as “rigged” in favor of Argentina.The Egyptian Football Association said it “cannot remain silent” over what it described as inconsistent and unfair refereeing, insisting that several key decisions directly influenced the outcome of the match.FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina rejected suggestions of bias, defending the VAR intervention and insisting that “a foul is a foul” regardless of the distance before a goal. He also warned that unfounded allegations against party officials could lead to threats and abuse.
