Egypt Files FIFA Complaint Over Referee in Argentina Loss

Egypt's Football Federation has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into French referee François Letexier. The complaint stems from the controversial 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a match that saw Egypt eliminated from the tournament.

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The referee is not acting fairly. This is oppression, blatant oppression. He is throwing away the work of an entire country from the beginning of the match, constantly coming at us.

The federation alleges that "serious refereeing errors and double standards" by Letexier and his officiating team directly contributed to Egypt's loss. In a statement, the federation specifically requested an investigation into the referee and his assistants, including the VAR officials. They are also pushing for the referee and his entire team to be removed from the World Cup.

Egypt claims that clear errors were made during the match and that crucial video reviews were avoided. The federation further alleges that the team was subjected to discrimination, suggesting the officiating was biased against them. The complaint seeks not only disciplinary action against the officials but also implies a desire for the match outcome to be re-evaluated.

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We were the better side in the match, but football is not fair. We had a penalty, and the referee disallowed our third goal, I don't know why. Perhaps all this is the result of a marketing strategy. They might want the last World Cup champion to stay in the tournament for the commercial success of the World Cup, for Messi to continue his journey here.

Following the match, Egyptian player Mostafa Zico voiced his strong dissatisfaction, calling the referee's performance "oppression" and stating that the work of an entire nation was disregarded. Coach Hossam Hassan echoed these sentiments, questioning the fairness of the game and suggesting that commercial interests, such as ensuring Lionel Messi's continued participation in the tournament, might have influenced the officiating. Hassan speculated that the match might have been "arranged" to favor Argentina.

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The Egyptian Football Federation has filed a complaint with FIFA demanding an investigation into French referee François Letexier, who officiated the match where the Egyptian team lost to Argentina 3-2, leading to their elimination from the World Cup.