Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has launched an extraordinary attack on the officiating and the integrity of the FIFA World Cup following his side’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina, claiming the Round of 16 encounter was “clearly a rigged match.”
The Pharaohs appeared on course for one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history after racing into a 2-0 lead against the reigning champions in Atlanta. However, Argentina staged a remarkable late comeback, scoring three goals in the final stages to book a place in the quarter-finals and end Egypt’s historic tournament run.
Speaking in an emotional post-match press conference, Hassan questioned several refereeing decisions and suggested the outcome had been influenced by factors beyond football.
“I will say what’s on my mind regardless of the consequence. This was clearly a rigged match and the whole world saw it.”
He added:
“And I want to say one more thing, if they want Argentina to win so bad, why call everyone to come and participate?”
Those remarks came after Egypt had already protested a series of contentious incidents, including the VAR review that ruled out what would have been a third Egyptian goal and a late appeal for a penalty that was waved away shortly before Argentina launched the move that produced Enzo Fernández’s winning goal.
The Egyptian coach also argued that his players deserved more from a performance that saw them outplay the defending champions for long periods before surrendering their advantage in the closing minutes.
His criticism echoed comments made elsewhere in the press conference, where he described the officiating as “unfair” and suggested the tournament appeared to be “directed towards Argentina,” while also expressing frustration over the disallowed goal and the non-awarded penalty.
Despite the bitter ending, Egypt’s campaign will be remembered as one of the nation’s finest World Cup performances. The Pharaohs recorded their first-ever World Cup knockout victory by defeating Australia in the previous round and became only the fifth African nation to win a knockout match at the tournament before narrowly falling to the defending champions.
Argentina, inspired by Lionel Messi’s late equaliser and Enzo Fernández’s dramatic winner, advanced to the quarter-finals, while Egypt departed the tournament amid lingering controversy and one of the most explosive post-match press conferences of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.