Egypt manager Hossam Hassan vowed to stop watching the 2026 World Cup after his team’s 3-2 loss to Argentina on July 7, 2026. Hassan alleged that officials favored Argentina to keep Lionel Messi in the tournament, citing a disallowed goal and a controversial non-call in the match’s final minutes.
Hassan’s Allegations of Bias and Injustice
The fallout from the round-of-16 match at Atlanta Stadium center on Egypt’s head coach, who expressed intense frustration following a second-half collapse. Egypt had led 2-0 before Argentina scored three goals in a 13-minute span to secure the victory. According to The Guardian, Hassan accused FIFA of engineering the result to ensure the reigning champions remained in the competition.
“It’s all about money. They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, many things happen off the pitch because of interests. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team.”
Hossam Hassan, Egypt manager, via The Guardian
Hassan further stated, “Why isn’t there any fairness in sport? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice. It is my own way of speaking up and standing up. I am not going to watch another match in this tournament.”
The VAR Controversy and Match Officials
Central to the dispute was a video assistant referee (VAR) decision that voided a second goal for Egypt. While Egypt was leading 1-0, Mostafa Ziko scored, but the goal was ruled out following a review that identified a foul by Marwan Attia in the buildup.
Ziko, who later scored to make it 2-0 before Argentina’s comeback, remained critical of the officiating after the final whistle. “After we made it 2-0, everything went against us,” Ziko said. “I don’t know why this second goal was disallowed.”
Tensions escalated as the match progressed, with the referee, François Letexier, issuing a series of yellow cards to Egyptian players, including goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, Hamdi Fathy, and Marwan Attia. Hassan himself was cautioned for arguing with the official. According to The Guardian, the Egyptian side had formally objected to Letexier’s appointment before the match began.
Argentina’s Dramatic Comeback and Messi’s Impact
Despite the
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