Egypt's World Cup Run Ends in Round of 16 Amidst Controversy Over Refereeing

2026 World Cup Key News

(Central News Agency, Cairo, July 7) - Egypt was eliminated from the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 after a 2-3 loss to Argentina, failing to advance to the quarterfinals. Several clips from the match have gone viral on social media, with many netizens questioning several calls by the referee that they believe were unfavorable to Egypt, sparking widespread debate about unfair officiating.

Egypt faced Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16 today. Egyptian player Yasser Ibrahim scored in the 15th minute with a header into the far corner, giving Egypt a 1-0 lead and eliciting cheers from excited fans. However, in the final 11 minutes, Argentina scored three goals to come back and win 3-2, leaving Egypt heartbroken and out of the quarterfinals.

Many netizens have shared match footage, igniting heated discussions on Egyptian social media and within the international football commentary circle. The focus has been on several controversial decisions by French head referee François Letexier and the application of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

A video circulating online shows an Argentine player allegedly pulling, pushing, and making physical contact with an Egyptian forward during a defensive play. The head referee did not call a foul, nor did VAR intervene, leading to expressions of dissatisfaction from some fans.

Furthermore, a goal by Egypt was disallowed after a VAR review. Before Argentina scored the winning goal just before the end of the match, Egyptian players were also brought down multiple times by opponent's physical contact in the penalty area during plays. Egypt appealed for a penalty kick, but Letexier did not respond, leading to strong questioning and protests on the sidelines regarding inconsistent officiating and a double standard applied to both teams.

After the match, Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan made the official FIFA gesture against racism towards Letexier, expressing his dissatisfaction with the referee's performance.

FIFA introduced this gesture in September 2024 to remind players and staff to avoid racist behavior. Hassan, however, imbued the gesture with new meaning, using it to express his strong protest against the referee's severely unfair calls.

Former English footballer Alan Shearer posted on X: "Either call it a foul on both or don't call it a foul on either." The post received tens of thousands of views and likes.

On Facebook, an Egyptian team supporter commented, "Egypt didn't lose to Argentina, they lost to the referee"; another netizen wrote, "Egypt lost the match, but won hearts."

Although Egypt did not advance to the quarterfinals, they have rewritten their World Cup history, achieving the national team's best record and earning a substantial prize of $15 million from FIFA. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also publicly thanked the national team after the match, commending the players' fighting spirit and historic breakthrough in this World Cup. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150708

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