After a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt, which had no shortage of top-class action, it is referee Francois Letexier who has taken centre stage. The Egyptian Football Federation (EFF) has reportedly approached FIFA, lodging a formal protest against the decisions of referee Francois Letexier after their team suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat against the defending champions Argentina in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Egypt appeared close to a historic upset after taking a 2-0 lead, but Argentina produced a late comeback, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and setting up another before Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in stoppage time.
However, the match left the Egyptian camp furious as several key decisions by the officials went against the team, including a disallowed goal following a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not reviewed in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal.
According to a report in Spanish publication Diario AS, the president of the Egypt Football Association, Hany Abo Rida, has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team.
Who Is Francois Letexier?
The 37-year-old Frenchman is ranked as a UEFA Elite Category referee. He generally officiates in Ligue 1. He has been a FIFA referee since 2017. According to reports, he is a professional lawyer with expertise in rental disputes and illegal occupation.
He was named the world’s best male referee for 2024 by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics). Letexier has, in the past, officiated the UEFA Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. He is the youngest referee to take charge of a UEFA Euro final. He has also officiated in the Champions League and the Olympic Games.
According to a report by L’Equipe, the Frenchman’s performance “will be reviewed, and FIFA’s refereeing officials will decide, based on his technical performance, the officials’ reports, and the disputed video footage, whether he will continue in this World Cup.”
However, the report added that the complaint may not succeed, as a country/member association “cannot exercise a veto over the appointment of the refereeing body, which falls under the purview of the FIFA Referees Committee.”
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan was particularly frustrated by the refereeing of French official Francois Letexier and pointed to two major incidents that he felt changed the course of the game: Egypt’s disallowed goal and a late penalty appeal involving Alexis Mac Allister before Fernandez’s decisive strike.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “A penalty was ruled out. It was not even checked by VAR, and our second goal was, remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed. We have been treated unfairly, and it has been an injustice.
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
Topics mentioned in this article
