‘They wanted Messi to stay’: Egypt coach Hassan accuses officials of favoring Argentina after ‘undeserved’ World Cup victory

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has accused FIFA and referees of treating his side “unfairly” after their dramatic 3-2 World Cup defeat by Argentina. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched an extraordinary attack on match officials after his side’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat by Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 16, claiming the Pharaohs were “treated unfairly” and suggesting there are outside influences aimed at keeping Lionel Messi and the defending champions at the tournament. Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after opening a two-goal lead in Atlanta, only for Argentina to score three times in the closing stages through Cristiano Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to book their place in the quarter-finals. However, Hassan insisted that the contest turned on a series of controversial decisions rather than the actual events on the field.

Hassan claims that Egypt suffered an “injustice” against Argentina

After the match, Hassan claimed that Egypt had outplayed the reigning world champions and claimed that several key refereeing decisions prevented his side from reaching the quarter-finals. “We looked better than the reigning champions, better in everything, but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan told reporters. “Maybe they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Maybe they wanted Messi to stay in the game.” “In football, sometimes there are external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at all levels.” The Egyptian coach repeatedly returned to the officiating during his press conference, insisting his players did not get the respect they deserved. “We didn’t see respect or fair play,” he said. “The penalty was disallowed. It wasn’t even checked by VAR and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed. “I want to put it in beautiful words and say, ‘Unfortunate’, but we were treated unfairly and it was an injustice.” He was just as emphatic after speaking to the media. “I don’t want to say it nicely and talk about bad luck. Today we were cheated unfairly, we suffered injustice.”

A disallowed goal, a penalty appeal and the appointment of a referee are fueling Egypt’s frustration

Egypt’s anger focused on several major incidents that took place during the match. Mostafa Zico thought he had extended Egypt’s advantage as they went 1-0 up, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review revealed a foul on Lisandro Martínez much earlier in the attacking movement. Zico later scored to restore Egypt’s two-goal cushion before Argentina mounted a dramatic comeback, but contention continued after Enzo Fernández netted the winner in stoppage time. The Egyptians believed they should have been awarded a penalty instead after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdy Fathy’s shirt during the build-up, with Hassan questioning why the incident was never reviewed. “There was no respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “The penalty was disallowed, it wasn’t even reviewed by VAR. The second goal was remarkably disallowed. There wasn’t even a VAR review when we all saw the picture of the jersey being taken off.”

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan argues with referee Francois Letexier of France during the World Cup round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

The Egyptian boss also questioned FIFA’s appointment of French referee François Letexier for the match, saying his federation had expressed concerns ahead of kick-off over France’s rivalry with Argentina after the 2022 World Cup finals. “There seems to be pressure from the Argentine side for this result,” Hassan said. “We objected to the choice of referee because of the French situation, but everyone has to suffer sometimes and we suffered. After the final whistle, Hassan was involved in a heated exchange with Letexier and later revealed what he said to the official. “What I said to the referee was: This is unfair,” explained Hassan. “I said he might have a scar or something to hide. “If someone tries to hide something, they often fail.

Mostafa Zico echoes the concerns as Hassan criticizes the planning

Striker Mostafa Zico admitted it was painful to see Egypt’s advantage disappear after leading 2-0 and also questioned several refereeing decisions. “Unfortunate. The game was in our hands and it slipped away at the last minute,” said Zico. “Strange things were happening on the field. “We had it tough today and everyone saw it. I won’t talk about something like that. We were winning 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against us and worked against us. I don’t even know why the second goal was disallowed, I don’t see any reason for that.” “But we have to find a solution so that the second goal doesn’t come. He wanted to reject the third one, but thank God God didn’t grant him success.”

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, left, before the World Cup Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Hassan also expressed frustration with the scheduling of the fixture, questioning why both teams were asked to play a midday kick-off just four days after their Round of 32 victory. “Whoever plans those matches has never played football,” he said. “You never schedule a game for 12 p.m. You go for a walk or brunch at noon, you don’t go play football.” “When are the players supposed to eat? At 7:30?” “There were a lot of things to question on and off the pitch. Despite his anger at the officiating, Hassan praised the commitment shown by his team, stressing that most of his players compete at home rather than in Europe’s top leagues. “I’m very, very pleased with the effort they put in,” he said. “Most of our players come from the Egyptian domestic league, while many players in other national teams are based in Europe and live in this professional environment. “Yet with mostly local players, apart from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, we were able to compete with anyone. The emotional defeat also made Hassan question whether he wanted to continue watching the rest of the tournament. “I will not continue to watch the matches of this World Cup,” he said. “This is my own way of speaking.