Why Is Argentina's World Cup Win Over Egypt Causing Controversy?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Argentina's dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16 secured the defending champions a place in the quarter-finals. But the result has also sparked controversy, with Egypt accusing the match officials and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) of making key decisions that influenced the outcome.

Here are the main reasons why Argentina's victory has become one of the tournament's biggest talking points.

Egypt Let a Two-Goal Lead Slip

Egypt stunned the defending champions by taking a 2-0 lead at Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, July 7.

Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring, while Argentina squandered a golden opportunity after Lionel Messi missed a first-half penalty. Mostafa Zico then doubled Egypt's advantage, putting the African side in control until the closing stages of the match.

Argentina mounted a remarkable comeback in the final 15 minutes. Cristian Romero headed home in the 79th minute before Messi redeemed his earlier miss by scoring the equalizer four minutes later.

Messi's assist for Romero also saw him become the all-time leading assist provider in FIFA World Cup history, while his goal further extended his record as the tournament's all-time leading scorer. Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernández completed the comeback with the winning goal to seal Argentina's place in the quarter-finals.

Egypt Claims Refereeing Decisions Were Unfair

Following the match, Egyptian players and coaching staff directed their frustration at the referee and VAR, arguing that several key decisions went against them.

Forward Mostafa Zico said the officiating overshadowed his team's performance.

"The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the effort of an entire nation," Zico said after the match, as quoted by OneFootball.

He went further by suggesting Argentina had received favorable treatment.

"The cup is being given to Argentina," he said.

Coach Questions VAR Decisions

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan also criticized the officiating during his post-match press conference, saying his team had been denied crucial decisions.

"I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice. It is my own way of speaking up and standing up. I am not going to watch another match in this tournament," Hassan said, as quoted by The Guardian.

According to Hassan, Egypt should have been awarded a penalty that was never reviewed by VAR, while another goal was controversially ruled out.

"We haven't seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out and a second (incident) that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR. A second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed," he said.

Hassan also questioned whether there was a desire to keep the defending champions in the tournament.

"Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted (Lionel) Messi to stay in the running? In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions benefited from support at every level," he said, as quoted by beIN Sports.

Egypt Also Criticized the Match Schedule

Beyond the refereeing controversy, Hassan criticized the scheduling of the match, which kicked off at midday only four days after both teams had played their previous fixtures.

"Whoever schedules these matches is someone who has never played football. You never schedule a football match at 12 noon. At that time, people are strolling or having lunch, not playing football," he said.

Despite the defeat, Hassan praised his players for pushing one of the tournament favorites to the brink. He noted that most of Egypt's squad plays in the domestic league, yet they were able to compete closely with an Argentina side featuring numerous players from Europe's top leagues.

What Happens Next?

The defeat ended Egypt's 2026 World Cup campaign. Although they fell short of the quarter-finals, the team captained by Mohamed Salah made history by recording the country's first-ever knockout-stage victory at a World Cup after eliminating Australia in a penalty shootout in the Round of 32.

Argentina, meanwhile, will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals. While the defending champions kept their title defense alive with one of the tournament's most dramatic comebacks, Egypt's allegations over refereeing and VAR decisions are likely to keep the match under scrutiny well beyond the final whistle.

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