Egypt's men's national soccer team lodged a formal complaint with FIFA following a contentious VAR ruling that disallowed a goal in their World Cup defeat against Argentina.
Egypt were eliminated from the World Cup on Tuesday in a dramatic 3-2 loss to reigning champion Argentina, having surrendered a two-goal advantage in the closing stages of the contest.
With Egypt leading 1-0 in the second half, striker Mostafa Ziko saw a goal overturned by VAR after officials determined a foul had occurred in the buildup. Midfielder Marwan Attia was adjudged to have fouled Argentina's Lisandro Martínez on the opposite side of the field prior to Egypt converting on the resulting counter-attack, as per The Mirror US.
The ruling sparked widespread outrage and allegations of match-fixing from fans, media, players, and coaches alike. Even the broadcast commentators anticipated the goal would stand as replays were being reviewed.
Instead, French referee François Letexier disallowed the strike, restoring the scoreline to 1-0 in Egypt's favor.
After extending their advantage to 2-0 nine minutes later, Egypt appeared poised to eliminate Lionel Messi and the defending World Cup champions, only to concede three goals in the final 11 minutes plus stoppage time, falling 3-2.
Following the final whistle, an incensed Egypt star declared the World Cup is 'fixed' in Argentina's favor, while head coach Hossam Hassan cried "injustice." The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has since filed a formal complaint with FIFA targeting Letexier and his assistant referees.
An EFA statement released on social media declared: "The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] system.
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"Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game.
"A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match.
"This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026."
FIFA has yet to respond to the grievance filed by the Egyptian FA.
This follows multiple other national teams lodging complaints with FIFA throughout this World Cup, including Belgium, regarding U.S. Men's National Team striker Folarin Balogun having his one-game ban suspended for the Round of 16.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation submitted one after Mexico supporters disrupted its team accommodation with car horns and fireworks the evening before its Round of 32 fixture in Mexico City, noting "such conduct stands in stark contrast to the principles of fair play, equity, and unity."
Unrelated to any VAR ruling, Iran submitted a formal protest to FIFA regarding "oppressive" limitations that compelled the national squad to journey between Mexico and the United States before and after every group stage fixture.
Source: Alloutsoccer.com
