Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accused FIFA of favoring Argentina after his side was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026 in a dramatic 3-2 round of 16 loss in Atlanta. Hassan alleged that the world governing body wants Lionel Messi to remain in the competition, claiming Argentina received support at every level.
VAR controversy and disallowed goal spark fury
The match, played on July 7, 2026, saw Egypt take a 2-0 lead by the 67th minute, but Argentina staged a stunning comeback with three goals in 13 minutes from Cristian Romero, Messi, and Enzo Fernandez. However, Egypt's Mostafa Ziko had a goal disallowed in the 59th minute after a VAR review, which Hassan said could have changed the match's outcome.
Hassan also pointed to an apparent foul by Alexis Mac Allister in the buildup to Enzo's stoppage-time winner, which was not reviewed by VAR. He alleged that the match was influenced by both internal and external factors.
Hassan: 'They want Messi to stay in the running'
"We looked better than the reigning champions -- better in everything -- but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it," Hassan told reporters, as quoted by ESPN. "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running. In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level."
Hassan also claimed that Egypt had objected to the referee selection due to the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, adding, "There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome."
Penalty claim for Salah ignored
The Egyptian coach further alleged a lack of respect and fair play, noting that a penalty appeal for a foul on Mohamed Salah was not even checked by VAR. "We have not seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out, it was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed. We have all seen the shirt pulled back [by Mac Allister] and not even a VAR check. Life is unfair, normal life is unfair, so why is there no fairness in sports?"
Hassan concluded, "I am not convinced by the outcome and the way things unfolded in the match. I want to put it in beautiful words and say hard luck, but we have been treated unfairly and it has been an injustice."
Match recap: Egypt's early lead and Argentina's comeback
Egypt stunned Argentina in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim headed home from Marwan Attia's corner. Argentina had a chance to equalize after Nicolas Tagliafico won a penalty, but goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied Messi from the spot. Shobeir continued his impressive display, saving efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez, while Messi struck the crossbar with a free-kick as Egypt held a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Egypt thought they had doubled their advantage early in the second half through Mostafa Ziko, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review. The Pharaohs were not to be denied for long, however, as Ziko finished off a swift counterattack in the 67th minute after good work from Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan to make it 2-0.
Argentina responded with renewed urgency after introducing attacking reinforcements. Cristian Romero reduced the deficit in the 79th minute, heading in Messi's inviting free-kick. Just four minutes later, Messi leveled the contest with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that found the net after clipping the goalkeeper's gloves and the underside of the crossbar. With extra time looming, Argentina completed their remarkable turnaround in stoppage time when a loose ball fell to Enzo Fernandez on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder calmly slotted a low finish into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Argentina advances to quarterfinals
The win sends Argentina into the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of the round of 16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia on July 8.
