Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has launched an extraordinary attack on the match officials following his side's heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, claiming his team had been "cheated unfairly" and suggesting external forces were at play to keep Lionel Messi and the defending champions in the tournament. The Pharaohs had stood on the cusp of their greatest ever World Cup result, leading 2-0 with just 11 minutes of normal time remaining, before Argentina produced a stunning late comeback that left the Egyptian camp in disbelief and fury.
Egypt took the lead through Yasser Ibrahim's 15th-minute header and doubled their advantage through Mostafa Zico in the 67th minute, after earlier having a goal disallowed by VAR. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had produced a magnificent save to deny Messi from the penalty spot in the first half. But Argentina, roared on by their fans, turned the game on its head in remarkable fashion. Cristian Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute, Messi smashed home the equaliser four minutes later, and Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround with a header in the second minute of stoppage time.
However, Hassan insisted the match was decided by controversial officiating rather than events on the pitch alone. "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 in an explosive post-match press conference. "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's anger centred on two major incidents that he felt changed the course of the game. Egypt had a second goal disallowed by VAR after midfielder Marwan Attia was penalised for a slight foul on Lisandro Martinez at the start of the move, when they were leading 1-0. The Pharaohs were also adamant they should have been awarded a penalty seconds before Argentina broke for the winner, after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdy Fathy's shirt in the buildup to Fernandez's decisive strike. "A penalty was ruled out, it was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed," Hassan fumed. "We have all seen the shirt pulled back and not even a VAR check. Life is unfair, normal life is unfair, so why is there no fairness in sports?"
Hassan also questioned FIFA's appointment of French referee Francois Letexier, noting that Egypt had objected to his selection before kickoff because of France's rivalry with Argentina following the 2022 World Cup final. "We were objecting to the selection of the referee because of the French situation, but everybody has to suffer at some point, and we suffered," Hassan said. He also criticised the scheduling of the match, arguing that the midday kickoff placed unnecessary demands on the players. "I dare to say that whoever schedules those matches is someone who doesn't and has never played football," he said. "It has nothing to do with football, because you never schedule a football match for 12pm".
The Egypt boss was booked by Letexier for protesting after Argentina's winner when he crossed his arms in front of him, which is the FIFA-backed symbol for players and coaches to alert the referee of a racist incident. By the end of the match, Egypt had been issued five yellow cards while Argentina had none. In a dramatic escalation, Hassan vowed not to watch another minute of the tournament in protest. "I am not going to continue following the matches of this World Cup," he declared. "This is my own way of speaking up".
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni paid tribute to his captain after the match. "Messi missed a penalty but he asks for the ball again and he drives, again and again. I get goosebumps, to be honest," Scaloni said. But for Hassan and his players, the pain of coming so close to a historic upset—only to have it snatched away in the most controversial of circumstances—will linger long after the final whistle. "I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck," Hassan said. "We have been cheated unfairly today; we have suffered injustice". Egypt's World Cup dream ended in heartbreak, but their coach's fierce accusations have ensured the debate over the match's fairness will continue long after the tournament ends.
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