Egypt rage at refereeing as Argentina comeback ends their World Cup dream

Egypt were left furious after seeing a 2-0 lead over Argentina turn into a 3-2 defeat, with Hossam Hassan accusing officials of “injustice” and suggesting Messi may have been favoured. The result ended Egypt’s best-ever World Cup run, but the manner of the loss left anger as well as heartbreak.

For much of the game, Egypt looked capable of producing a landmark result. They led through Yasser Ibrahim’s first-half header and stayed in front deep into the second half, with goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir also saving Messi’s penalty to keep hope alive. At that point, a quarter-final place felt close.

Everything changed in a frantic late spell. Cristian Romero pulled one goal back in the 79th minute, Messi equalised four minutes later, and Enzo Fernandez headed in the winner in stoppage time. Egypt were not just beaten; they were overwhelmed by one of the great World Cup recoveries.

The controversy centred on two major decisions. First, Egypt had a second goal ruled out after VAR judged Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martinez in the build-up, even though the contact appeared very light. Then, after Salah went down in the Argentina penalty area, Egypt felt they should have been awarded a spot-kick before the decisive counterattack that led to Argentina’s winner.

Hassan was blunt after the match, saying his team had been treated unfairly and that there was “lack of credibility” in how events unfolded. He even suggested there may have been pressure to keep Argentina and Messi in the competition, while BBC analysis pointed out that the officiating was at least arguable and perhaps inconsistent with the way contact had been handled elsewhere in the tournament.

There was also frustration around Salah’s role in the game. He scored only once in the tournament and was largely quiet against Argentina, unable to influence the match when Egypt most needed him. For a player whose future World Cup involvement is uncertain, this was a painful ending.

Still, the broader reaction in Egypt mixed anger with pride. Supporters and observers noted that this team had done what no Egyptian side had done before: they won a World Cup match, competed as equals against a giant, and gave the country belief. The emotion around the exit showed how far they had come, even if the ending felt unbearable.

For Egypt, this tournament will be remembered as both a breakthrough and a grievance. They left with their heads high, but also with the conviction that they were denied a historic result.