Egypt Files FIFA Complaint After Argentina Defeat, Alleges Refereeing Bias

July 09, 2026: Egypt have officially lodged a complaint with FIFA following their dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina, claiming that a series of controversial refereeing decisions cost them the match. Despite holding a 2-0 lead until the 78th minute, Egypt suffered a remarkable comeback as Argentina scored three late goals to secure victory. Unhappy with the officiating, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has submitted a written complaint, calling for an investigation into the referee's performance.

According to a report by Spanish media outlet Diario AS, EFA president Hany Abu Rida has filed a formal complaint against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team. The association alleged that several key decisions went against Egypt during the match and requested FIFA to review the officials' performance. The EFA has also urged FIFA not to appoint Letexier and his refereeing team for any remaining matches in the tournament until the matter is investigated.

The controversy has become one of the biggest talking points of the World Cup, with Egyptian officials insisting that crucial moments in the match were handled unfairly. They believe that the refereeing decisions had a direct impact on the outcome of the game and deprived the team of a deserved result.

The Egyptian 🇪🇬 Football Association has officially filed a complaint with FIFA after Egypt lost 3-2 to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup.

The EFA has asked FIFA to investigate several refereeing decisions made by French referee François Letexier and his officiating team.

EFA… pic.twitter.com/3yYTGcU08R

— Africa View Facts (@AfricaViewFacts) July 8, 2026

Egypt coach questions refereeing and FIFA after controversial defeat

Following the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan strongly criticised the referee and questioned several decisions made during the game. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hassan said he had come to "tell the truth" rather than remain silent, claiming his team had been treated unfairly throughout the contest.

Egypt's biggest complaint concerns an incident before Argentina scored the winning goal. The team believes they should have been awarded a clear penalty after Alexis Mac Allister allegedly fouled Hamdi Fathi inside the penalty area. According to the Egyptians, the referee waved play on, while VAR also chose not to review the incident. Hassan also questioned another decision involving a disallowed Egyptian goal, claiming there was no proper VAR review despite what he described as a clear shirt pull.

"It's clear that this tournament has been fixed."

Egypt's Mostafa Ziko blasted the officiating after his side's defeat to Argentina, expressing frustration over several refereeing decisions during the match.

Video Credit: @FIFAWorldCup / @BBCSport pic.twitter.com/I8clxqroFk

— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) July 8, 2026

"The referee was not good. He made decisions against us from the beginning and did not want us to win," Hassan said. He further claimed that his team had been denied fair play and described the match as "stolen."

The Egypt coach also made controversial remarks regarding FIFA, suggesting that Argentina received favourable treatment because they are the reigning world champions. Hassan even hinted that there were external influences in football and questioned whether officials wanted Lionel Messi to remain in the tournament for longer.

Meanwhile, Egypt have backed up their public criticism by submitting an official written complaint to FIFA, requesting a thorough investigation into the match officials. Star forward Mohamed Salah also addressed the controversy but chose not to directly criticise the refereeing. "I don't want to comment on the refereeing. If I say so, I will get in trouble," Salah said.

FIFA has not yet issued an official response to Egypt's complaint.