Disputes over the Argentina vs. Egypt match are still ongoing

The disputes surrounding the Round of 16 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between the national teams of Argentina and Egypt, which ended with a score of 3:2 in favor of Argentina, are still ongoing.

The match took place at the Atlanta stadium on Tuesday. Until the 80th minute, the Egyptian team was leading 2:0. However, in the last 13 minutes, the Argentine team scored three goals and won. The first to score was Cristian Romero in the 79th minute, then Lionel Messi scored the second goal in the 83rd minute to equalize, and during extra time, Enzo Fernandez scored the third goal.

During the game, one goal by the Egyptian team, scored by Mustafa Ziko after a cross from Mohamed Salah, was disallowed after a VAR review. The reason given was a foul, as the player took the ball from Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez, violating the rules. Additionally, Egypt’s request for a penalty after a collision between Mohamed Salah and Julian Alvarez during a free kick was also rejected by referee Francois Letexier and the VAR system.

After the game, Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan and the Egyptian Football Federation officially announced their objection to the referee’s decision and demanded a fair review of these decisions.

The controversy received widespread attention, with major global media outlets such as Reuters, ABC News, ITV, Talk Sport, and other international publications extensively covering these events. Many experts and former referees also analyzed the referees’ decisions, bringing this issue beyond the football field and making it one of the key topics in the global football community.

In response to these disputes, FIFA’s refereeing committee chairman Pierluigi Collina rejected all accusations and stated that referees act independently and are not influenced by external factors in their decisions.

According to him, the VAR system is used precisely for fairness in the game, and all controversial decisions made in this match were in accordance with the current rules of football. Collina also warned that accusations against referees could jeopardize their safety as well as the safety of their families.

Despite FIFA’s official comment, the dispute among football fans, global media, and sports commentators continues, and the Argentina-Egypt match remains one of the most controversial encounters in the 2026 World Cup.