"Egypt was robbed": New York City Mayor joins World Cup match controversy

The controversy surrounding Egypt’s dramatic and contested Round of 16 defeat against Argentina at the World Cup continues to escalate, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani openly criticizing the refereeing and claiming that Egypt was "robbed."

In the match held in Atlanta, Egypt maintained a 2–0 lead until the 78th minute before defending champions Argentina staged a comeback, scoring three consecutive goals to secure a 3–2 victory and advance to the quarterfinals. However, a major flashpoint occurred in the 58th minute when an Egyptian goal was disallowed due to a foul, sparking widespread debate.

Mayor Mamdani brought up the football controversy during an event with voters while outlining a new public transit development plan. Noting that the new initiative would save New Yorkers significant time annually, the mayor jokingly remarked, "You will even have time to sit down with your friends and agree that Egypt was truly robbed in yesterday's match."

Later, responding to questions from reporters, Mamdani doubled down on his lighthearted critique, stating that he might spend the extra six minutes saved daily by repeatedly watching replays of how Egypt was "robbed."

Joking about the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, the Mayor added, "Now all that’s left is to make the rectangular VAR gesture."

Mamdani’s comments echo the intense frustration expressed earlier by Egypt's head coach, Hossam Hassan. The manager leveled serious allegations against the officiating, claiming that biased decisions were made intentionally to keep Argentina and Lionel Messi in the tournament.

In response to the mounting criticism, FIFA issued an official explanation regarding the refereeing decisions, defending the officiating and maintaining that the correct calls were made during the match.