FIFA Backs Referee of Argentina-Egypt Match Amid Criticism

FIFA has publicly defended French referee François Letexier, who came under severe criticism from the Egyptian national team following their elimination by Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.

Pierluigi Collina, head of refereeing at FIFA, asserted that the organization's officiating is impartial and free from external influence. "No one can claim that the refereeing of our entity can be influenced by anyone, not even by President Gianni Infantino," Collina stated, emphasizing Infantino's "total support" for the team and respect for refereeing independence.

Collina acknowledged that debates over decisions are part of football but condemned "unfounded accusations," stating, "No one can question the integrity of the referees" in the tournament. He specifically addressed two key moments from the Argentina-Egypt match.

First, he explained the decision to disallow an Egyptian goal in the 13th minute of the second half. Collina noted that Egyptian player Marwan Attia had "clearly stepped on the foot" of Argentinian player Lisandro Martínez in the build-up to the goal.

Second, Collina addressed an Egyptian penalty claim just before Argentina's third goal in added time. Egyptian players had appealed for a penalty after a challenge in the box between Argentinian Julián Álvarez and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah. Collina stated that both the referee and the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) deemed it "normal football contact."

The FIFA official did not comment on alleged interference by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the eligibility of player Folarin Balogun for a previous match.