The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has officially submitted a complaint to FIFA following Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s Round of 16. The EFA alleges that specific officiating decisions had a direct influence on the game’s outcome. This move has ignited a debate among supporters and football analysts over the use of VAR and the consistency of officiating at the competition.
In a post-match statement, the EFA demanded a formal investigation into the performance of French referee François Letexier and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team. The federation argues that several crucial decisions during the match unfairly disadvantaged Egypt, ultimately impacting the result. A goal disallowed following a VAR review and a late penalty appeal are among the incidents mentioned in the complaint.
As a part of its submission, the EFA has requested FIFA to prevent Letexier and the rest of the officiating team from overseeing any further matches during the remainder of the tournament. Egypt’s head coach, Hossam Hassan, also echoed this sentiment, expressing his disappointment over the officiating and suggesting it significantly hindered his team’s chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.
The defeat to Argentina marked the end of an impressive World Cup run for Egypt, who had topped their group and were seen as one of the tournament’s dark horses. FIFA has previously acknowledged similar complaints. However, at the time of writing, the governing body has yet to issue an official response to Egypt’s latest submission or indicate whether it will launch an investigation into the match officials.
