Egypt's Mostafa Ziko launched a blistering attack on the match officials after his team's dramatic 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 in Atlanta. Ziko, whose first-half goal was disallowed by VAR, alleged that the officiating was unfair throughout the match and accused the tournament of being fixed.
Disallowed Goal Sparks Outrage
Egypt took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute through Yasser Ibrahim's header from Marwan Attia's corner. They appeared to double their advantage early in the second half when Ziko found the net, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review concluded he had committed a foul on an Argentina player. Ziko did score in the 67th minute to make it 2-0, but the disallowed goal remains a major point of contention.
Speaking to the broadcaster after the match, Ziko said, "No fair, no fair, referee, no fair. Injustice, clear and obvious injustice. He is wasting the efforts of an entire country. From the start of the match, he was against us. It is not allowed for us to leave as 2-0 winners against Argentina. The tournament is fixed. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs."
Argentina's Remarkable Comeback
Despite trailing 2-0, Argentina mounted a stunning comeback. Cristian Romero headed in Lionel Messi's free-kick in the 79th minute to reduce the deficit. Messi then equalized in the 83rd minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that clipped the goalkeeper's gloves and the underside of the crossbar. In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez slotted home a loose ball from the edge of the penalty area to seal a 3-2 victory.
Egypt had earlier survived a penalty scare when goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved Messi's spot kick in the first half. Shobeir also denied efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez, while Messi hit the crossbar with a free-kick. Egypt held a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Ziko Apologizes to Fans
Ziko also apologized to Egyptian fans, saying, "We wanted to make them happy today. We couldn't do that. But I swear it was out of our hands. It is in the referee's hands. The tournament is fixed, it is obvious anyway."
The win sends Argentina into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Switzerland vs. Colombia match on July 8. Egypt's exit marks a heartbreaking end to a campaign that saw them come within minutes of one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
