Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has heavily criticised the officiating following his side’s dramatic elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the Pharaohs were denied a fair opportunity during their Round of 16 defeat to defending champions Argentina.
Egypt appeared on course for one of the tournament’s biggest upsets after establishing a two-goal advantage, only for Argentina to mount a remarkable comeback and secure a 3-2 victory to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Egypt’s dream slips away
The Pharaohs were in complete control after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico gave them a commanding lead against the reigning world champions.
However, Argentina fought back late in the match as Cristian Romero pulled one back before Lionel Messi restored parity. Enzo Fernández then struck deep into stoppage time to complete the turnaround and end Egypt’s World Cup campaign.
The contest was also overshadowed by several controversial refereeing decisions, including a VAR intervention that disallowed what would have been Zico’s second goal of the evening.
Hassan questions officiating
Speaking after the match, Hassan expressed his frustration with the officiating and suggested the result had been influenced by factors beyond his team’s control.
“I will say what’s on my mind regardless of the consequence. This was clearly a rigged match and the whole world saw it.”
The Egypt coach went further by questioning the purpose of inviting nations to compete if the outcome had already been decided.
“And I want to say one more thing. If they want them [Argentina] to win so bad, why call everyone to come and participate?”
Controversy follows Egypt’s exit
Hassan’s remarks add to the growing frustration within the Egyptian camp, with players and officials voicing concerns over several key decisions during the match.
The disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Zico following a VAR review has become one of the biggest talking points, while Egyptian supporters also questioned other incidents inside Argentina’s penalty area.
Despite the controversy, Argentina progressed to the quarter-finals after completing the first comeback from a two-goal deficit in the nation’s FIFA World Cup history.
Egypt, meanwhile, exited the tournament with heads held high after producing one of their finest performances of the competition against the defending champions.
