Was Egypt robbed of a penalty? New video angle from Salah's penalty appeal vindicates match referee

The Argentina‑Egypt knockout clash at the 2026 World Cup ignited a frenzy among fans, dividing opinion over whether Mohamed Salah’s stoppage‑time penalty appeal was legitimate.

Argentina pulled off a dramatic 3-2 comeback to eliminate Egypt from the World Cup and advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday in Atlanta. The Pharaohs, however, called out referee Francois Letexier's controversial decisions and ignored Salah's penalty appeal.

However, a new camera angle showed that Letezier made the right decision on perhaps one of the match's most important calls.

Video footage adds clarity to Salah's penalty appeal

Salah's penalty appeal came at stoppage time when Argentina overturned a deficit, taking the score to 2-2. The Egyptian striker sprinted inside the penalty area with the ball in an attempt to score. Julian Alvarez attempted to defend, and Salah went down on the ground. The Pharaohs promptly appealed for a penalty, but Letexier turned it down as the action continued.

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A fresh video angle of the incident went viral on social media, which showed that Alvarez did not move his foot and even curved it outward to avoid contact, but Salah lunged forward in an attempt to force contact.

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Just seconds after Egypt's appeal was denied, Enzo Fernandez helped Argentina gain the lead after he netted the winning shot in the 93rd minute.

EFA fumed after elimination, laments referee decisions

The drama continued after Egypt's elimination, as the Egyptian Football Association criticised the refereeing decisions, calling out the improper use of the VAR system and stating that they would not remain silent.

The team's primary frustration was over Mostafa Zico's disallowed goal in the 62nd minute after a VAR review identified a foul by an Egyptian player in the build-up.

The EFA escalated the matter to FIFA after submitting an official complaint against Letexier and his assistants. The global football body is yet to take action on their appeal.