The controversy surrounding Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 win over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 is showing no signs of slowing down. While Argentina came back from two goals down to register a sensational win, Egypt’s players and coaching staff were left fuming over some of the refereeing decisions in the match. In a new video that has surfaced on social media, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan was seen shouting at FIFA officials once the game ended. Hassan, along with some members of his coaching staff, was having a heated chat with the officials when Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni walked past them without engaging. In the video, Hassan was seen animatedly screaming at Scaloni as well.
However, Scaloni did not react and quietly made his way back to the dressing room at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said Wednesday it “cannot remain silent” after what it believes was unfair and biased officiating in Egypt’s 3-2 round of 16 loss against Argentina on Tuesday.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players criticized the officiating after being left in disbelief as Argentina scored three unanswered goals in 13 minutes to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in World Cup history.
Egypt coach screaming at Lionel Scaloni’s face while Scaloni completely ignoring him. pic.twitter.com/U4qb5gmpTi
— World Cup HQ (@WorldCup26HQ) July 8, 2026
“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimized, or treated as secondary,” the EFA said in a statement. “It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination.”
FIFA’s chief of refereeing Pierluigi Collina, in a statement issued later Wednesday, said while constructive discussion about decisions would always be part of football, “unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”
“Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials,” he said. “When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”
The EFA said that the referee failed to use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system appropriately, leading to the loss to Argentina.
Egypt appeared to have netted its second goal in the 58th minute, but a VAR review determined that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez early in the buildup up to the goal.
“Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game,” the EFA statement read.
(With AP inputs)
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