Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched a stunning attack on the game’s stewards following his side’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, saying Afarao was “treated unfairly” and that there are outside influences aimed at keeping Lionel Messi and defenders of the game. Egypt looked one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after opening up a two-goal lead in Atlanta, while Argentina scored three late goals through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to book their place in the quarter-finals. Hassan, however, insisted that the tournament had led to a number of controversial decisions and not just those on the pitch.
Hassan says Egypt faced “unfairness” against Argentina
Speaking after the match, Hassan said Egypt had defeated the dominant players in the world and said several key decisions had prevented his team from reaching the quarterfinals. “We looked better than the reigning champions, better in everything, but the result depended on what was inside and outside the game,” Hassan told reporters. “Maybe they wanted him to be the world champion in this tournament. Maybe they wanted Messi to stay in this tournament. “In football, sometimes there are external factors that override talent. The world champion received support at every level.” The Egyptian coach repeatedly hit back at the manager at his press conference, saying his players did not receive the respect they deserved. “We didn’t see respect or fair play,” he said. “The penalty wasn’t confirmed. It wasn’t reviewed by VAR, and our second goal was surprisingly, for whatever reason, disallowed. “I want to put it in beautiful words and say, ‘Luck,’ but we’ve been treated unfairly and it’s been unfair.” He emphasized the same while talking to the media later. “I don’t want to overstate it and I’m talking about opportunity. We’ve been unfairly lied to today; we’ve been treated unfairly.”
Illegal goals, penalty appeals and referee selection fueled Egypt’s frustration
Egypt’s anger was centered on several major incidents that took place during the game. Mostafa Zico thought he had increased Egypt’s advantage as they took a 1-0 lead, only to have the goal disallowed after a VAR review revealed a foul on Lisandro MartÃnez earlier on. Zico later struck to restore Egypt’s two-goal lead before Argentina made a stunning comeback, but the clash continued when Enzo Fernández scored a stoppage-time winner. The Egyptians believe they should have been given 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 not reviewed. “There was no respect or fair play,” Hassan said. “The penalty was not confirmed, it was not reviewed by VAR. The second goal was disallowed in a shocking way. There was no VAR check when we all saw the picture of the shirt being returned.”
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan argues with referee Francois Letexier, of France, during the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
The Egyptian boss also questioned FIFA’s selection of French referee François Letexier for the match, saying his organization had raised concerns ahead of time due to France’s rivalry with Argentina following the 2022 World Cup final. “It seems that there is pressure on the Argentine side for this,” said Hassan. “We were against the appointment of an arbitrator because of the situation in France, but everyone has to suffer at some point, and we suffered.” Following the final whistle, Hassan spoke to Letexier and later revealed what he had told the official. What I told the player was, ‘This is unfair,’ Hassan explained. “I said either he has a scar or he has something to hide.” “If someone is trying to hide something, they often fail to hide it.”
Mostafa Zico reiterates his concerns while Hassan criticizes the schedule
Goalkeeper Mostafa Zico admitted it was painful to see Egypt’s chances slip away after leading 2-0 and questioned several refereeing decisions. “Lucky. The game was in our hands and they got away at the last minute,” said Zico. “Strange things happened on the field. “We played hard today, and everyone saw that. I don’t talk about that. We won 2-0. After the 2-0 result, everything went against us and went against us. I also don’t know why the second goal was rejected, I don’t see why. “But let’s look for a solution to prevent the second goal from happening. He also wanted to deny the third, but thank God, God did not help him.”
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, left, before the round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Hassan also expressed frustration with the schedule of the match, questioning why all teams were asked to play in the afternoon four days after their Round of 32 victory. “Those who organize the game have never played football,” he said. “You don’t schedule a game at 12pm. In the afternoon you go for a walk or have brunch; you don’t go to play football. “When are the players supposed to eat? At 7:30am? “There have been a lot of things that need to be asked on and off the pitch.” Although he was angered by the manager, Hassan praised the commitment he is showing, ensuring that many of his players compete in the country and not in the big leagues in Europe. “I’m very satisfied with the effort they’ve put in,” he said. “Many of our players come from the Egyptian league, while most of the players in other teams in this country live in Europe and live in these venues. “But with local players in particular, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, we were able to compete with everyone.” The emotional defeat also made Hassan question whether he wanted to continue watching the rest of the game. “I will not continue to follow this World Cup match,” he said. “This is my way of talking.”