Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 sparked controversy after Egypt questioned several refereeing decisions, including the disallowing of a goal that could have changed the game. Egyptian officials and fans also raised concerns over other key calls, prompting allegations of bias against the match officials.
Amid the backlash, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating, dismissing claims of bias and insisting that the match officials carried out their duties with complete independence.
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Collina acknowledged that criticism of referees is an inevitable part of football, but condemned attempts to question the integrity of the officials following Egypt's complaints after the defeat.
Egypt alleged they were unfairly treated during their match against Argentina, with coach Hossam Hassan claiming his side had been 'cheated' out of a quarterfinal spot and suggesting there may have been pressure on the referee to keep Argentina in the tournament.
The referee for Argentina and Egypt's match was Francois Letexier of France. He has not publicly commented on the controversy while an investigation is ongoing.
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