Egypt’s football federation has filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the officiating in Argentina’s 3-2 last-16 win against the Pharaohs, demanding an investigation into referee Francois Letexier and his entire crew. Federation president Hany Aburida submitted the complaint, calling for the removal of the officiating team from the rest of the tournament over what he described as serious errors that cost Egypt the match.
Egypt led twice during the game before Argentina came back through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the winner in stoppage time. The federation wants FIFA to examine the video assistant referees alongside Letexier, arguing that several key decisions swung the result in Argentina’s favor.
Disputed Calls Fuel Egypt’s Complaint
The federation’s anger centers on a first-half goal by Mostafa Zico that Letexier disallowed after VAR flagged a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez in the buildup. Zico scored again minutes later to put Egypt 2-0 up, and the team looked headed for its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal. Then, in stoppage time, Egypt believed Mohamed Salah should have won a penalty just before Argentina scored the equalizer and eventual winner.
Egyptian officials say the officiating team refused to review footage that supported their case, and the federation’s statement described the pattern of calls as discrimination against the team rather than ordinary refereeing mistakes. Aburida’s complaint calls for a full investigation into both the on-field referee and the VAR officials, and it demands their exclusion from the remaining matches.
Coach Hossam Hassan Accuses Officials of Favoring Argentina
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan backed the federation’s complaint in comments made right after the match. He told reporters the team had suffered an injustice and said neither respect nor fair play had been shown toward Egypt during the game.
Speaking separately to broadcaster beIN, Hassan suggested outside factors may have influenced the officiating, floating the idea that organizers wanted to keep the defending champions and Messi in the tournament. He said Argentina received favorable treatment at every stage of the match.
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Referees Removed From Remaining Matches, But Not Over the Complaint
Days after Egypt’s complaint, FIFA sidelined Letexier and fellow French referee Clement Turpin from officiating any further games at the tournament, a move first reported by L’Equipe. Jerome Brisard, the third French official at the World Cup, remains eligible because he has worked only as a VAR official through the competition. The timing led many to assume FIFA had acted on Egypt’s complaint.
That was not the case. FIFA operates a standing rule barring referees from officiating matches involving their own country once that nation reaches the semifinals. France’s advance to the semifinals triggered the rule for Letexier and Turpin, and the same policy now applies to officials from Argentina, Spain, and England, all of whom have also reached the final four. The rule exists to avoid any conflict of interest in the tournament’s closing stages and applies regardless of individual performance in earlier rounds.
Egypt’s complaint against Letexier has not been separately resolved, and FIFA has not said whether it will take further action once the tournament ends. Argentina, meanwhile, has advanced to face England in the semifinal round.
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