The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) submitted a complaint to FIFA, demanding an investigation and the exclusion of the French refereeing team following a series of controversial decisions in the defeat to Argentina. The referee’s decision caused controversy.
According to AS, EFA President Hany Abo Rida filed an official protest against French referee Francois Letexier and his assistants. The Egyptian side believes that a series of decisions by the refereeing team directly affected the match result and contributed to the country’s national team bowing out.
Not only demanding that FIFA explain the controversial situations, the EFA also requested the most powerful governing body in world football to open an investigation into the decisions of the refereeing team, while also excluding the French refereeing crew from the remainder of the 2026 World Cup if serious errors are determined.
The biggest controversy came in stoppage time, before Enzo Fernandez scored the goal that sealed the 3-2 victory for Argentina. Egypt argued that they deserved a penalty after two situations where Alexis Mac Allister pulled Hamdi Fathi’s shirt and Julian Alvarez collided with Mohamed Salah in the penalty area. However, referee Letexier did not blow his whistle, and VAR did not request a review.
Immediately after that, Argentina organized a counter-attack and scored the decisive goal, causing the Egyptian players to react fiercely. After the match, many members of the African team continuously criticized the management of the refereeing team, arguing that these decisions altered the outcome of the match.
It is not yet clear whether FIFA will agree to open an investigation or take disciplinary measures against the French refereeing team. However, the tough stance from Egypt is predicted to cause the controversies surrounding the officiating at the 2026 World Cup to continue heating up in the coming days.
