The Egyptian Football Association (EFA), under the leadership of President Hany Abo Rida, has submitted a formal grievance to FIFA targeting French referee François Letexier and his officiating crew during the World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina. The complaint follows Egypt’s highly contentious elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egyptian football authorities contend that critical, game-altering decisions by the officiating crew directly compromised the match’s outcome. The submitted appeal formally requests that FIFA launch a performance review of the refereeing staff, highlighting widespread concern over the consistency of officiating standards at the tournament.
While the incident has ignited fierce debate among analysts and supporters alike, FIFA has not yet released a public response regarding the matter.
Inside the Controversy: Egypt Crucial Flashpoints Against Argentina
The EFA’s grievance centers on two pivotal moments during the match where they believe Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocols were applied inconsistently.
1. Mostafa Zico’s Disallowed Goal
With Egypt holding the lead, Mostafa Zico found the back of the net to seemingly double their advantage. However, following a VAR intervention, Letexier overturned the goal, citing a previous foul by Marwan Attia on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez during the buildup. The Egyptian camp challenged the reversal, arguing that the alleged infraction occurred too early in the phase of play to warrant a VAR review.
2. The Denied Penalty on Mohamed Salah
Deep into injury time, Egypt vehemently appealed for a penalty when captain Mohamed Salah was brought down in the box by Julián Álvarez. Letexier dismissed the appeals, and VAR opted not to recommend an on-field review. To compound Egypt’s frustration, Argentina immediately capitalized on the uninterrupted play, launching a swift counterattack that concluded with Enzo Fernández scoring the decisive, match-winning goal.
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