TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Argentina produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and book their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, but the defending champions' victory was overshadowed by a controversial Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision that denied Egypt a potentially decisive second goal.
As reported by Fox News, the most debated moment came in the 58th minute when Mostafa Ziko appeared to double Egypt's lead after finishing a swift counterattack. However, following a lengthy VAR review, referee François Letexier ruled out the goal after determining that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez during the build-up.
The decision immediately sparked controversy because the foul occurred deep inside Egypt's own half, well before the attack developed. FOX Sports analyst Rob Green questioned whether the incident fell within VAR's authority to review, saying the challenge happened "the full length of the pitch away" and arguing that such situations were not what the technology was intended to address.
Former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg also criticized the intervention, saying the incident was neither a clear foul nor an appropriate case for VAR. He argued the challenge was consistent with the level of physical play allowed throughout the tournament and noted that Argentina had sufficient time to reorganize defensively before Egypt scored.
Despite the controversy, FOX Sports officiating analyst Dr. Joe Machnik defended the decision, explaining that the VAR protocol allows officials to review any attacking-team offense—including fouls, handballs, or offsides—that directly leads to a goal. He said the foul enabled Egypt to gain possession that eventually resulted in the score, making the intervention consistent with the Laws of the Game.
Argentina escaped the setback and continued searching for a breakthrough before Egypt finally made it 2-0 in the 67th minute, when Ziko scored again from another counterattack after receiving a pass from Mohamed Salah.
With elimination looming, Argentina launched a stunning comeback in the closing stages. Cristian Romero headed home in the 79th minute before Lionel Messi equalized four minutes later with his eighth goal of the tournament, keeping the defending champions' title defense alive.
Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in second-half stoppage time, heading Lautaro Martínez's cross into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory after Argentina scored three goals in just 13 minutes.
According to Al Jazeera, the VAR controversy remained the dominant talking point after the final whistle, with many observers debating whether officials had correctly interpreted the International Football Association Board (IFAB) protocol.
Under the IFAB Laws of the Game, VAR is permitted to review "attacking team offences in the build-up to or scoring of the goal," including fouls, handballs, and offsides. Supporters of the decision argued the review complied with the regulations, while critics maintained the foul occurred too far from the eventual goal to justify overturning it.
The closing minutes became increasingly heated as Argentina completed their comeback. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, Hamdi Fathy, and Marwan Attia all received yellow cards for Egypt, while head coach Hossam Hassan was also cautioned after protesting to the referee.
Following the match, Hassan strongly criticized the officiating, saying Egypt had been treated unfairly and insisting he was unconvinced by the outcome.
The emotional scenes continued after the final whistle. Mohamed Salah and his teammates were left devastated after seeing their impressive World Cup campaign come to an end, while Messi was overcome with emotion as Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face Switzerland.
Read: Argentina Fight Back From Two Goals Down to Eliminate Egypt at World Cup
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