Egypt Accuses FIFA of Favoring Argentina After Dramatic World Cup Turnaround

Egypt has voiced strong accusations against FIFA, alleging that the World Cup was manipulated to benefit Argentina after Lionel Messi led a thrilling 3-2 comeback in the tournament's round of 16.

Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s coach, expressed his belief that his team suffered an unfair outcome, while striker Mostafa Zico openly claimed the tournament was fixed.

The Controversial Moments

• Disallowed Egyptian Goal: When Egypt was leading 1-0, Zico scored a brilliant goal following a pass from Mohamed Salah. However, VAR overturned it due to a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez 17 seconds earlier. Replays showed minimal contact, sparking outrage given referees were instructed to allow normal physical play to keep matches flowing.
• Salah’s Denied Penalty Claim: Egypt’s frustration peaked after Argentina’s injury-time winner by Enzo Fernández. They argued Salah was fouled inside the penalty area just before the decisive goal, but no penalty was awarded. The incident involved Julián Alvarez making contact with Salah’s foot, resembling the earlier foul that negated Egypt’s goal, yet VAR did not intervene.

Coach Hassan’s Response

“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition,” Hassan said. “We looked better compared to the reigning champions. We were superior in every aspect. The result was influenced by factors beyond the pitch.”

He added he would no longer watch the tournament in protest and questioned the choice of French referee François Letexier, feeling the officiating favored Argentina throughout the match.

Zico’s Take on the Match

“The referee was not fair. The injustice was clear. We had a solid start but faced unfairness right from the beginning. A 2-0 lead isn’t enough to beat Argentina. This tournament seems fixed,” Zico said.

Argentina’s Spirit and Comeback

Despite the controversy, Argentina demonstrated resilience and determination. Messi, who played a key role in the late turnaround, provided an assist and scored to bring Argentina back into contention. Fernández sealed the victory with a stunning injury-time header.

This marked the latest point in World Cup history where a team came from two goals down to win within regular time. The match featured incredible attacking talent, fierce competition, and intense drama.

Messi, overwhelmed with emotion, broke down in tears at the final whistle, reflecting the intensity of the 90 minutes. His performance included scoring, dribbling past opponents five times, and creating five open-play chances – a feat last matched by Diego Maradona in 1986.

Egypt’s Strong Start and Defensive Efforts

From the outset, Egypt played with purpose and organization. Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 15th minute. Egypt effectively crowded Messi with multiple defenders and relied heavily on goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who saved a crucial penalty from Messi early on.

Despite defensive discipline, Egypt was frustrated by refereeing decisions, especially the disallowed goal after an apparently minor foul.

Late Drama and Final Moments

Egypt twice launched remarkable counterattacks resulting in goals from Zico, though one was ruled out by VAR. Argentina fought back with increasing pressure, eventually equalizing through Cristian Romero’s header, assisted by Messi.

The winning goal came from Fernández’s header after a swift counterattack, a move that left Egypt protesting for a penalty due to a foul on Salah similar to the earlier called foul that negated their goal.

Match Details and Context

The game took place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, drawing a large crowd heavily supporting Argentina. This match was filled with passion, controversy, and moments that highlighted the unpredictable nature of football.

Both teams made tactical changes and showed commitment, but ultimately Argentina’s experience and fighting spirit prevailed.