FIFA referees chief hits out at rigged World Cup claims: No one can question integrity
FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina has strongly rejected allegations that Argentina received favorable treatment in their dramatic World Cup victory over Egypt, insisting the referees’ integrity “cannot be questioned” and rejecting suggestions that refereeing decisions were influenced from outside.
In an interview published on FIFA’s official website on Thursday, Collin defended the decisive team that oversaw Argentina’s 3-2 victory in the round of 16, a match that drew criticism from Egypt after a series of controversial decisions.
Argentina managed to eliminate Egypt by two goals with Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage time winner, but the result was overshadowed by complaints from the Egyptian camp about key refereeing calls.
INTEGRITY DEFENDED
Collina said debate about refereeing was a natural part of football, but he took a hard line against allegations questioning referees’ honesty or independence.
“Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but baseless allegations have no place in our sport,” he said.
The former World Cup finals referee also rejected suggestions that FIFA president Gianni Infantino or anyone else in football’s governing body could influence officials.
“Nobody can question the integrity of FIFA World Cup match officials,” Collina said. “No one can claim that a FIFA referee can be influenced by anyone, not even the FIFA president.”
He warned that such allegations had ramifications off the pitch, arguing that questioning referees’ integrity could expose officials and their families to abuse and threats.
FIFA CALLS BACK VAR
Egypt’s frustration centered on two key moments during the second half.
The The Egyptian Football Association argued that Mostafa Zico’s goal should have stood, claiming there was no foul in the play-off, while coach Hossam Hassan suggested after the match that there may have been pressure to keep Argentina in the tournament.
Collina dismissed the claims, explaining that VAR had correctly intervened after identifying a foul by Marwan Attia on Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez during the attacking phase of possession that led to Zico’s strike.
“We believe a foul is a foul,” Collina said. “Regardless of whether the foul appears to be ‘obvious’, if the referee did not see it on the pitch, VAR can intervene.”
FIFA also stood by the decision not to award Egypt a penalty moments before Argentina scored the winner. Egypt believed Mohamed Salah had been fouled, but Collina said both the on-field referee and VAR deemed Julian Alvarez’s challenge to be normal football contact after the defender played the ball.
Collina acknowledges that referees’ decisions will always include an element of interpretation, but said FIFA remained satisfied with the application of VAR throughout the tournament and maintained that the technology was used in accordance with the competition’s rules.
The comments represent FIFA’s strongest response yet to allegations surrounding the Argentina-Egypt clash, with Collina insisting tournament officials carried out their duties independently, despite criticism following one of the World Cup’s most controversial knockout matches.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
09 Jul 2026 23:29 IST