FIFA VAR call sparks Egypt’s World Cup legitimacy doubts after Argentina’s 3-2 win

VAR Controversy and Egypt’s Dispute

The decisive moment came in the 67th minute when Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko scored what appeared to be a legitimate goal, only for the video assistant referee (VAR) to overturn the decision. According to the BBC, the goal was disallowed after a challenge between Egypt’s Marwan Attia and Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez, with the VAR ruling the contact foul. Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, condemned the decision, stating, “We haven’t seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out and a second (incident) that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR.”

For more on this story, see FIFA’s New Hydration Rule Sparks Controversy: Player Criticism and World Cup Tactics.

The controversy deepened when Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez scored the winning goal in stoppage time, a moment Egypt’s players and fans felt was unfairly aided by the VAR’s earlier intervention. The BBC reported that Egypt’s goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobeir, made a critical save in the first half, denying Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who had previously missed a penalty. Hassan later told beIN Sports, “The world champions received support at every level,” suggesting external pressures influenced the match outcome.

This follows our earlier report, José Luis Chilavert Sparks Controversy with Shocking France National Team Comments Ahead of World Cup Quarter-Final.

Read also: Belgium’s Rudi Garcia: Genius or Crazy? World Cup Wonderteam Sparks Debate.

Coach Hassan’s Accusations and Political Ties

Hassan’s accusations extended beyond the pitch, linking the VAR decision to broader political dynamics. He implied that FIFA had favored Argentina, a claim echoed by Simon Chadwick, a professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at the Emlyon Business School in Shanghai. Chadwick told Al Jazeera, “After the Balogun affair, who knows which decisions are legitimate and can be trusted, and which can’t?” referring to the recent controversy over U.S.

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