Egyptian coach, players claim World Cup loss to Argentina was unfair, ‘rigged’
It was a fair decision by FIFA: Former USMNT player
Former USA men’s team defender Jonathan Bornstein discusses FIFA’s controversial decision to reverse Balogun’s red card suspension that would have allowed him to play in the crucial World Cup Round of 16 match. Bornstein explains why this call was “correct” by comparing it with the criticism of the Norway coach. The USA will face top-seeded Belgium.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been a tremendous success both on and off the field. Visiting fans spoke highly of the experience of coming to the United States and enjoying the country’s hospitality. Host venues across the country have received high praise for their outstanding amenities and exceptional atmospheres.
But even the most successful tournament is not without controversy. The biggest one in the first few rounds was Folarin Balogun’s red card. The card shown to Balogun in the US Men’s National Team’s Bosnia and Herzegovina match was given due to incorrect application of VAR rules. FIFA later suspended his one-match suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium in the round of 16.
European fans, commentators and their football associations went crazy. But even these pale in comparison to the allegations made by the Egyptian team’s players and coaches following their shocking 3-2 defeat to Argentina and Lionel Messi on Tuesday afternoon.
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Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan did not refrain from criticizing the referee in his statement to the media after the match.
“We didn’t get any respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “The penalty was canceled and the second [incident] This match, which should have been a penalty check for us, was not even checked by VAR. “For whatever reason, the second goal was notably disallowed.”
“I’d like to put it in nice words and say ‘Bad luck,’ but we were treated unfairly and it was an injustice,” he continued.
Egypt took a 1-0 lead and appeared to have taken a 2-0 lead, but the second goal was disallowed after a VAR review determined a foul had been committed at the other end of the pitch approximately 20 seconds earlier. Egypt scored again, but what could have been 2-0 could have been 3-0, making Argentina’s incredible comeback even more unlikely. There were further questionable calls afterwards, including a possible penalty awarded following a foul on star Mohamed Salah.
“We looked better than the reigning champions – better in everything – but the result was affected by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off the pitch,” Hassan also told reporters. “Maybe they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Maybe they wanted Messi to stay in the competition.
“Sometimes in football there can be external factors that go beyond technical elements. The world champion received support at all levels.”
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“It looks like there was pressure on the referee from the Argentinian side to produce this result,” he added. “Life is unfair. The world is unfair. Okay, but why is there no justice in sports? I am not convinced by this result and the events that unfolded in this match.”
Egypt’s coach and head coach Hossam Hassan during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt at Atlanta Stadium on July 7, 2026. (Catherine Ivill – AMA / Getty Images)
Striker Mostafa Ziko said something similar, saying the Egyptian team was “forced” by the referee.
“We had a hard time [the referee] Everyone saw this today. I won’t talk about such a thing. We were winning 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything worked against us. I don’t even know why the second goal was disallowed, I don’t see any reason for it. But we must look for a solution to prevent the second goal. “He wanted not to allow the third one, but thank God, he did not grant him success.”
“This was a rigged game,” Ziko said. “It wasn’t our fault. The referee… it looks like there was cheating in this match. We were winning 2-0 and he kept coming at us. It looks like congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup.”
It’s almost certain that FIFA is happy with Messi and Argentina advancing to the quarter-finals. Messi remains arguably the biggest star on the international stage, and as long as he and his team are in the tournament, interest and viewership will be higher. However, this does not mean that the match was “rigged”. The VAR review that disallowed Egypt’s second goal appeared to be wrong, but some of the other contentious calls were borderline decisions that could have gone either way.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring his second goal during the World Cup round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo)
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The most important variable that no Egyptian player or coach wanted to accept was that if they wanted to win, they could not score three goals in 25 minutes.
