Egypt demand FIFA probe into refereeing after defeat to Argentina

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into the refereeing of Egypt's dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Despite their elimination, Egyptian officials argue that a series of controversial decisions by French referee François Letexier significantly influenced the outcome of the match.

According to Argentine outlet TyC Sports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida submitted an official letter to FIFA, describing several refereeing decisions as "biased" and "erroneous." He also urged the governing body to appoint an independent committee to review the officiating and consider removing Letexier and his officiating team from the remainder of the 2026 World Cup.

The complaint follows strong criticism from Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, who said after the match that several decisive calls had gone against his side at crucial moments.

In the letter, Abo Rida argued that repeated refereeing mistakes had a direct impact on the result and warranted a thorough investigation.

The EFA highlighted two key incidents in its complaint.

The first came in the 62nd minute, when Mostafa Ziko had a goal disallowed following a VAR review for an alleged foul on Lisandro Martínez. Egyptian officials insist there was no foul and claim the decision unjustly denied them a legitimate goal.

The second disputed moment occurred during stoppage time, when Enzo Fernández scored Argentina's match-winning goal. Egypt alleges one of its players was fouled in the build-up, but Letexier allowed play to continue and did not refer the incident for a VAR review.

The EFA said the referee applied inconsistent standards to two similar situations, ultimately altering the course of the match and Egypt's World Cup campaign.

FIFA has yet to issue an official response to Egypt's complaint.