Egyptian players, coaches complain about controversial calls in loss to Argentina: 'Rigged game'

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been a tremendous success, connected and disconnected the field. Visiting fans person raved astir the acquisition of coming to the United States and enjoying the country's hospitality. The big venues crossed the state person been wide praised for exceptional amenities and outstanding atmospheres.

But adjacent the astir palmy tourney isn't without controversy. The largest, done the archetypal fewer rounds, was Folarin Balogun's reddish card. The paper shown to Balogun successful the US Men's National Team lucifer against Bosnia and Herzegovina was fixed based connected misapplication of VAR rules. Then FIFA postponed his one-game suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium successful the circular of 16.

European fans, commentators, and their shot federation, went ballistic. But adjacent they airy successful examination to the allegations being thrown astir by players and coaches from the Egyptian squad aft their shocking 3-2 nonaccomplishment to Argentina and Lionel Messi connected Tuesday afternoon.

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Lionel Messi (10) of Argentina celebrates scoring his team's 2nd extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt astatine Atlanta Stadium connected July 07, 2026 successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Egyptian manager Hossam Hassan spoke to the media aft the match, and did not clasp backmost with his disapproval of the officiating.

"We haven’t seen respect oregon just play," Hassan said. "A punishment was ruled out, and a 2nd [incident] that should person been checked for a punishment for america was not adjacent checked by the VAR. A 2nd extremity was remarkably, for immoderate reason, disallowed."

"I privation to enactment it successful beauteous words and say, ‘Hard luck,’ but we person been treated unfairly, and it has been an injustice," helium continued.

Egypt had a 1-0 lead, and seemed to instrumentality a 2-0 lead, lone for the 2nd extremity to beryllium disallowed aft a VAR reappraisal determined that a foul had occurred astir 20 seconds beforehand connected the different broadside of the pitch. Egypt did people again, but the 2-0 scoreline mightiness person alternatively been 3-0, making the unthinkable Argentina comeback adjacent much unlikely. Then determination were respective different questionable calls, including a imaginable punishment that could person been fixed aft a foul connected prima Mohamed Salah.

"We looked amended than the reigning champions — amended successful everything — but the effect was influenced by interior factors connected the transportation and outer factors disconnected it," Hassan besides told reporters. "Perhaps they wanted to support the satellite champion successful the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to enactment successful the running.

"In football, determination are sometimes outer factors that spell beyond the method aspects. The satellite champion received enactment astatine each level."

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"There seems to person been unit connected the Argentinian broadside connected the referee that has brought astir this outcome," helium added. "Life is unfair. The satellite is unfair. OK, but wherefore isn’t determination immoderate fairness successful sports? I’m not convinced by this result and by the mode things unfolded successful this match."

Hossam Hassan, manager and caput manager of Egypt, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt astatine Atlanta Stadium connected July 7, 2026. (Catherine Ivill - AMA / Getty Images)

Forward Mostafa Ziko said thing similar, saying his Egyptian squad was "hard done" by the referee.

"We were hard done by [the referee] today, and everyone saw that. I won't speech astir thing similar this. We were winning 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against america and worked against us. I don't adjacent cognize wherefore the 2nd extremity was disallowed, I don't spot immoderate crushed for it. But we indispensable look for a solution truthful that a 2nd extremity doesn't come. He wanted to disallow the 3rd 1 too, but convey God, God didn't assistance him success."

"It was a rigged game," Ziko said. "It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems similar this lucifer was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and helium kept coming astatine us. Congratulations to Argentina connected different World Cup, it seems."

It's a near-certainty that FIFA is blessed that Messi and Argentina are done to the quarterfinals. Messi remains arguably the biggest prima connected the planetary stage, and involvement and viewership volition beryllium higher arsenic agelong arsenic helium and his squad are successful the tournament. But that doesn't mean the lucifer was "rigged." The VAR reappraisal to disallow Egypt's 2nd extremity did look misplaced, though immoderate of the different contentious calls were the benignant of borderline decisions that could spell either way.

Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring their 2nd extremity during the World Cup circular of 16 shot lucifer betwixt Argentina and Egypt successful Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo)

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The astir important adaptable that nary of the Egyptian players oregon their manager privation to acknowledge, though, is that had they wanted to win, they could simply not person allowed 3 goals successful 25 minutes.