Egypt cry 'injustice' after 3-2 Argentina loss
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- Hossam Hassan blasted his team's 3-2 round-of-16 loss to Argentina as 'injustice,' citing a goal disallowed after VAR review and the failure to review an apparent Alexis Mac Allister foul in the buildup to Enzo Fernández's stoppage-time winner.
- Hassan suggested FIFA wanted Lionel Messi to 'stay in the running,' claiming the reigning champions 'received support at every level' in Atlanta and that 'external factors… go beyond the technical aspects.'
- Egypt had objected pre-match to the appointment of French referee François Letexier — because France lost the 2022 final to Argentina — and Hassan confronted the official at full time, accusing him of 'having something to hide.'
- VAR did not review an alleged foul on Mo Salah that Egypt believed was a penalty, while also disallowing an Egypt goal after review, per Hassan and players Mostafa Zico and Mohamed Alaa.
- Lionel Messi created one goal and scored another to complete Argentina's comeback from 2-0 down, with Fernández bundling in the stoppage-time decider.
- Mohamed Salah gathered Egypt's squad in the locker room afterward, telling them 'Hard luck, it's over. It's God's decree and what he willed happened,' and urging them to build on the tournament.
Why it matters: Egypt's formal complaints — lodged publicly by coach, players, and through a pre-match referee objection tied to the 2022 final — put Letexier's officiating and FIFA's VAR protocols under direct scrutiny at a knockout stage, with the reigning champions now through and Egypt heading home after a 2-0 lead evaporated.
