The Egyptian Football Federation has filed a protest with FIFA, while coach Hossam Hassan publicly stated that the match referee performed unfairly.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has filed an official protest with FIFA alongside a request for a full investigation into the refereeing performance during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 fixture. This action was taken after Egypt collapsed from a two-goal lead and ultimately suffered a 2-3 defeat against Argentina.

This elimination ended The Pharaohs' 2026 World Cup campaign, and immediately ignited public controversy over multiple disputed calls made throughout the match.

Primary scrutiny has been directed at French lead referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team. According to Diario AS reports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida has submitted a formal legal complaint to FIFA, demanding the refereeing committee issue official clarification for a series of decisions judged to have unfairly disadvantaged Egypt.

The EFA maintains that the standard of refereeing had a decisive impact on the final match result. For this reason, the federation is also requiring FIFA launch a complete, independent audit of all match officials assigned to this fixture.

Egypt has additionally urged FIFA to remove Letexier and the entire French officiating crew from all remaining 2026 World Cup matches if any breach of professional duties is verified.

As reported by Voice of Emirates, Abo Rida has gone further to request an investigation into what he described as alleged "discriminatory criminal conduct" against the Egyptian national team. The EFA asserts that the refereeing decisions made during the match effectively eliminated Egypt's right to progress to the quarter final stage.

This controversy expands the growing widespread criticism of refereeing standards at the 2026 World Cup. Over recent days, multiple national federations and even UEFA have publicly raised formal concerns regarding officiating consistency and quality across the tournament.

Despite lodging this formal protest, Abo Rida also publicly recognised and praised the performance of Mohamed Salah and the entire Egyptian squad, stating the team had displayed extraordinary fighting spirit while competing against one of the pre-tournament title favourites.

Hossam Hassan Voices Fury Over Refereeing Decisions

Far angrier criticism came from Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan, who stated his side had been subjected to unfair treatment for the full duration of the match.

"It is undeniable that the officiating was unjust. God is the only one we may place our full trust in, and He holds authority over all things. But these refereeing calls have thrown away the struggle and hope of an entire nation. It is very clear to me that this tournament is being manipulated to benefit Argentina," Hassan stated in comments carried by Sky Sports.

The 59 year old head coach received a yellow card for making an crossed-arm protest gesture towards match officials, though this sanction did not soften his public stance on the refereeing performance.

Hassan specifically highlighted inconsistent application of VAR protocol, noting that multiple critical incidents involving Egypt were never sent for video review.

"A clear penalty that belonged to our team was denied. What makes this unforgivable is that this incident was never even sent for VAR review. In complete contrast, our second goal was disqualified on grounds that none of us can comprehend," he explained.

He also formally challenged the validity of Argentina's stoppage time winning goal scored by Enzo Fernandez.

"Every person watching clearly saw Mac Allister pull and hold the jersey of our Egyptian player. Yet this obvious foul was never checked or reviewed with VAR at all," Hassan stated firmly.