Egypt was 20 minutes away from pulling off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Up 2-0 on Argentina in the Round of 16. A Cinderella story in the making. Then the VAR review happened, and everything flipped.
The Egyptian FA has officially filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into referee François Letexier and his crew. The complaint centers on the second goal Egypt scored in the first half, which was wiped out after a video review flagged a foul that happened all the way on the other end of the field. Egypt’s players and coaches insist the call was not just wrong, but evidence of something bigger.
Argentina stormed back with three goals in the final 11-plus minutes. Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez all scored, and just like that, Egypt went from dreaming of a quarterfinal run to packing their bags. The final score: 3-2 Argentina.
Egyptian forward Mostafa Ziko, who had the goal called back, didn’t hold back after the match. “The cup is being given to Argentina. They win the World Cup,” he said. “No fair, no fair, referee, no fair. Injustice, clear and obvious injustice. From the start of the match, he was against us. It is not allowed for us to leave as 2-0 winners against Argentina. The tournament is fixed.”
Strong words. But the Egyptian FA is pursuing the formal route, not just airing grievances on social media. They want Letexier suspended. They want the match result reviewed. Whether FIFA actually investigates remains to be seen, but the complaint is now on the record.
Wait, This Actually Was Egypt’s Best World Cup Ever
Here’s the part that might get lost in all the anger: Egypt was incredible this tournament. This was only their fourth World Cup appearance ever, and they won two knockout stage matches to reach the Round of 16. Technically they made the final 16 back in 1934, but that tournament only had 16 teams total. So this run, by any modern measure, was historic.
They knocked off two higher-ranked teams to get here. They played Argentina tougher than anyone expected. And while the ending stings, this team gave Egyptian fans something to believe in.
But right now, none of that matters to the players. They’re livid. They feel cheated. And they’re convinced the system worked against them.
Argentina moves on to the quarterfinals. Egypt goes home with a complaint filed and a lot of what-ifs. The dust will settle eventually. But for a team that came this close to immortality, settling might take a while.
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