Egypt has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA after its contentious exit from the World Cup in a match against Argentina. The Egyptian Football Association accused officials of "double standards" in officiating and called for the removal of referee Frenchman François Letexier and his entire officiating team from the tournament.
Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead against the defending champions Argentina, but the latter scored three late goals to secure victory. Controversy arose over a VAR decision that disallowed a crucial Egyptian goal by Mostafa Zico for a foul. Egypt also claims that VAR failed to review a challenge on Mohamed Salah just before Argentina’s winning goal in stoppage time, which Egypt argues should have resulted in a penalty.
The complaint has intensified viral claims alleging favoritism towards Argentina and accusations that the World Cup was "rigged" to benefit Lionel Messi's squad. Critics have also highlighted incidents such as Messi avoiding a red card for a challenge on Aissa Mandi during Argentina’s match against Algeria, drawing comparisons to other refereeing decisions.
Adding to the controversy, a video showing FIFA president Gianni Infantino congratulating Argentina’s team after their match against Cape Verde has circulated widely online.
The Egyptian Football Association stated it "cannot remain silent" following the disputed elimination and is demanding a thorough investigation into the officiating of the match.
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