Egypt lodges formal protest with FIFA over Letexier's controversial VAR decision in Argentina World Cup match

Egypt voiced frustration after Argentina pulled off a stellar 3-2 comeback in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 encounter on Tuesday. Fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta witnessed peak drama as La Albiceleste overturned a 2‑0 deficit, delivering one of the tournament’s most memorable performances.

But match referee Francois Letexier's calls came under fire as some of his decisions led to Egypt's exit from the tournament.  

Tensions flared on the sidelines post-match when Egypt coach Hossam Hassan made the anti-racism gesture against Lionel Messi following a verbal exchange, igniting drama after an already tense match. The Egyptian Football Association escalated the case by taking its concern to FIFA.

'The EFA cannot remain silent'

According to Diario AS, EFA President Hany Abo Rida filed an official complaint with FIFA against match referee Letexier and the assistants, seeking removal of the entire refereeing unit from the remainder of the World Cup.

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The association claimed that their mistakes had a major impact on Egypt being knocked out and demanded an explanation for their decision. The EFA also called for a formal investigation into the matter.

Also Read | 'Not fair’: Egypt coach Hossam Hassan blames VAR decisions after World Cup heartbreak against Argentina

On Wednesday, EFA issued an official statement saying they will not remain silent about the controversial refereeing in the Argentina clash.

"The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina, as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system," the EFA said in a statement.

What happened during the Argentina-Egypt clash?

In the 58th minute of the knockout clash, Egypt believed they had doubled their lead over Argentina after Ziko found the back of the net. But after a VAR review, referee Letexier ruled that Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martinez when Egypt scored, and the goal was disallowed.

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Egypt also believed they were robbed of a penalty when Enzo Fernandez struck at stoppage time. Mohamed Salah had gone down in the Argentina box in the build-up to the goal, leading to outcry from Egypt's bench. Letexier issued multiple yellow cards and also sent off their goalkeeping coach, Saafan Elsaghir, with a red card.

Whether FIFA would take any action against Letexier and his refereeing team remains unknown.