VAR Rules Out Egypt's Zico Goal for Foul on Martinez

Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- VAR ruled out Mostafa Zico's goal for Egypt during their FIFA World Cup 2026 last-16 match in Atlanta, citing a foul on Lisandro Martinez in the build-up
- ESPN published a parallel "VAR review" piece asking whether Egypt were "unfairly denied" the pivotal goal, signaling immediate cross-outlet scrutiny of the decision
Why it matters: In a knockout-stage World Cup match, a single disallowed goal can decide who advances, and with ESPN already framing the call as potentially unjust, Egypt face Argentina under the shadow of a contested officiating decision.




