Why FIFA Rejected Egypt’s Referee Complaint After the Argentina Match: Pierluigi Collina Explains the VAR Decisions
-
Dhivyanshu
- . July 10, 2026
- . Update: July 10, 2026 9:18 pm
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16 gave us one of those most thrilling but also kinda polarizing matches across the whole tournament. Egypt referee complaint, The Egypt vs Argentina showdown ended in a 3-2 comeback win for the South Americans, and honestly it sparked a heated global argument about the officiating, like straight away. After Egypt’s exit felt so brutal, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) submitted an official complaint against the French referee François Letexier. Still, why was this appeal dismissed? In a long-awaited answer, FIFA’s refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina finally broke the silence to clarify the key VAR calls that basically carved up the game. Here’s what you need to know about that controversy.
The Core of the Egypt Referee Complaint
So Egypt had this 2-0 lead, and then the whole thing slipped rapidly. It finished with Argentina scoring in the 93rd minute through Enzo Fernández. But the Egypt referee complaint was not only about that late strike; the anger really came from two major VAR moments.
The Disallowed Goal by Mostafa Ziko
First, in the 58th minute, Mostafa Ziko thought he’d brought Egypt right back into control with a decisive effort. The problem was, the goal was ruled out in a contentious way. The officiating group said there was a foul earlier in the attacking move, specifically by Egyptian midfielder Marwan Attia on Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez. Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan pushed back hard, claiming the foul was practically nonexistent, and that is where the online noise grew, with people even saying the tournament was “rigged,” as France 24 described.
Mohamed Salah’s Denied Penalty
The whole controversy got worse just moments before Argentina started the counterattack that eventually delivered their winning goal. Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah went down inside the penalty area after a challenge from Julián Álvarez. The referee waved play on, which was more or less slammed by the EFA, who claimed a penalty was clearly refused, and that it pretty much steered their squad out of the competition.
Pierluigi Collina Defends the Integrity of VAR Decisions
Talking straight to the backlash on the official FIFA portal, the legendary Pierluigi Collina came in with a firm defense of the match officials. He said, ” Look, constructive criticism belongs in football, but unfounded claims of favoritism don’t belong there.
Understanding FIFA’s Official Stance
Collina then laid out pretty specific technical reasons for the two most argued VAR moments:
- On the Disallowed Goal: Collina was clear, saying, “We believe that a foul is a foul.” He added that even when something isn’t immediately glaring during live action, the VAR procedure still obliges the team to step in if the on-field referee overlooks it, especially in the build-up sequence.
- On the Penalty Shout: he also backed the officials about the contact involving Salah. In Collina’s view, if a defender reaches the ball first, and then makes “normal football contact,” that scenario does not automatically count as a foul.
As reported by The Hindu and the Hindustan Times, Collina insisted that VAR decisions are applied consistently and independently. Also, he underscored that nobody, not even the FIFA President, can sway match referees, and this line was echoed in international coverage by The Straits Times.
The sting of a World Cup exit really never sits easily, and the Egypt vs Argentina clash will probably be remembered as one of the most fiercely debated games of the 2026 tournament. While the Egypt referee complaint showed the raw feeling and the high stakes of international football, Pierluigi Collina’s hard line on the VAR calls sort of shuts the door on any potential inquiry. So, for now, Argentina moves on, and Egypt has to sit with the questions of what could have been.
FAQs
Q1: What sparked the Egypt referee complaint?
A: The Egypt referee complaint kicked off because of some pretty controversial officiating in the Egypt vs Argentina game, mainly that Egyptian goal got ruled out, and also a denied penalty shout for Mohamed Salah, or well, that was what they were saying.
Q2: What did Pierluigi Collina say about the VAR decisions?
A: Pierluigi Collina said that the VAR decisions were totally spot on, like 100% in line with the rules of the game. He mentioned that the foul during the buildup properly wiped out Egypt’s goal and the challenge on Salah was counted as “normal football contact”.
Q3: Who scored the winning goal in the Egypt vs Argentina match?
A: Enzo Fernández scored the late winner (90+3′), the stoppage-time goal that sealed Argentina’s 3-2 comeback.
Q4: Will FIFA overturn the match result?
A: No. FIFA really shut down the EFA’s complaint, saying the officiating was fair, so the result will stay final.
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