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Egypt couldn't hold on against Argentina's firepower. A 2-0 lead after 78 minutes turned into a 3-2 loss in regular time as the Argentines stormed back.
But after the match, many fans watching this World Cup Round of 16 game remembered something important: Egypt had a goal overturned during this match, in what many considered to be shocking fashion.
With Egypt leading 1-0, Mostafa Zico found himself at the end of a counter attack and scored to make it 2-0.
That didn't actually count, though, because VAR intervened.
MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending loss
The referee looking at the video review went back all the way to the other end of the field and saw that an Egyptian defender had stepped on the foot of an Argentine attacker to help turn the ball over.
The goal came a long, long way away from that.
The officiating crew, though, determined that it was all in one move.
And with Egypt being pretty accusatory after the match of a World Cup that's rigged in Argentina's favor, social media posters took on a similar stance:
Ok, seriously. How does VAR overturn Egypt goal for declaring this a foul?
Absolutely disgraceful decision by VAR. Can understand why people are suggesting FIFA and Argentina conspiracies. Feel for Egypt. It should’ve been their game and their moment pic.twitter.com/jQuZiVjbzB— Carlo Colaiacovo (@CarloColaiacovo) July 7, 2026
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While FIFA is quite the organization, this game was more than rigged. A crazy result like this one would've been tough to script.
It's definitely a call that Argentina probably wouldn't have even pointed out if the goal had counted.
But the video review saved them, and it turned out to be just the difference they needed.
More FIFA World Cup news:
- Why Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World Cup
- An on-brand finish to Neymar's Brazil career
- Lionel Messi makes announcer lose his mind in 35-second goal call
- Jordan Henderson got injured celebrating England's win over Mexico
- Singing Hey Jude as Bellingham sets epic World Cup record
Billy Heyen
Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive high school sports coverage at the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. When people ask if he's seen a movie, the answer is usually "No, I was probably watching sports." Even away from sports, his main hobby is running (much slower than any athlete in these pages).
Source: Sporting News
