Baladiyyat Al Mehalla · Premier League · Midfielder · #24 · Egypt · 31 yrs
Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed (28) has eventually turned up for preseason training, according to Ouest-France. The Egypt international has not been called up by national team manager Hossam Hassan f...
Pierluigi Collina shared his opinion on the controversial plays of the match between Argentina and Egypt. The Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt was one of the most thrilling of the tournament, with Argentina coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. However, Egypt complained about referee François Letexier, who was defended by Pierluigi Collina as he detailed the controversial plays of the match on the official Inside FIFA website while reaffirming that referees are independent from Gianni Infantino. Collina said: “A foul is a foul, regardless of whether it seems obvious. If the referee did not see it on the field, the VAR can intervene. There is no defined limit regarding the distance from the goal, nor the amount of time that has passed between the incident and the goal.” This explanation from the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee referred to the disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Zico after VAR called Letexier to review the play in which Lisandro Martínez was stepped on by Marwan Attia near Egypt’s corner flag. Collina on the final goal Even after Zico had a goal disallowed, he scored again a few minutes later on a fantastic counterattack to put Egypt 2-0 ahead. Then the comeback began with a Cristian Romero header before Lionel Messi equalized. Martínez was fouled on the other end of the field (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) The winning goal also generated controversy from Egypt’s perspective, as Mohamed Salah fell inside the penalty area when Julián Álvarez won the ball back from him in the move that ended with Enzo Fernández scoring the winner. Collina said: “Stepping on an opponent’s foot is a foul, whereas a defender who plays the ball first and then makes normal contact with the opponent does not commit a foul. The referee and the VAR considered it to be normal contact.” Collina on possible influence from Infantino There was plenty of frustration from Egypt after the elimination. Hossam Hassan was the main figure fueling the protests with his gestures toward the referee. It was not just the manager who delayed the match for a few minutes, as several members of the coaching staff were also yelling at Letexier. Collina responded to the claims that the competition had been influenced by Infantino. Collina said: “No one can claim that FIFA’s refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even the FIFA president. He has always shown his full support, trusting us to work with complete independence. Referees make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always strive to do their very best.”
Dan Riccio and Blake Price recap a historic day of Round of 16 action on The 90th Minute as Argentina escapes a 2-0 deficit and Switzerland wins on penalties. The Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has just delivered one of the greatest single-elimination thrillers in modern football history. On the latest edition of The 90th Minute, co-hosts Dan Riccio and Blake Price return to unpack a breathless day of knockout drama defined by heart-stopping fightbacks, penalty shootouts, and heavy bracket ramifications. Listen to the full tactical matchday breakdown on Spotify to catch up on the complete analysis. The program leads with a comprehensive autopsy of Argentina’s miraculous 3-2 victory over Egypt in Atlanta. Hossam Hassan’s clinical Pharaohs threatened one of the biggest shocks in tournament history, exploiting the high defensive line to build a stunning 2-0 lead through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico, while goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir brilliantly denied a Lionel Messi penalty. However, the reigning world champions mounted an unprecedented, late 14-minute siege. Cristian Romero initiated the lifeline in the 79th minute, Lionel Messi struck a blistering equalizer to notch his 8th tournament goal, and Enzo Fernández hammered home a dramatic 92nd-minute match-winner—marking the 3,000th goal in World Cup history. The hosts dissect the intense refereeing controversies and the structural adjustments that rescued the tournament favorites from the brink. The analysis then transitions into a gritty, ultra-defensive battle between Switzerland and Colombia. Following 120 minutes of tense, scoreless tactical chess where the Swiss backline completely suffocated a passive Colombian attack, Switzerland held their nerve to prevail in a high-stakes penalty shootout. The guys evaluate Switzerland’s structural defensive shape and explain why their organized low-block continues to look incredibly difficult to dismantle in single-elimination football. The episode concludes by laying out the highly anticipated Quarterfinal landscape. With both tournament survivors locking in their places, Argentina and Switzerland are officially set for a massive blockbuster showdown on Saturday in Kansas. You can stream the entire daily overview right now. Check out The 90th Minute on Spotify to get the latest match reactions, detailed tactical player ratings, and expert bracket projections.
After Argentina's big comeback to win the match 3-2, the Egyptian Football Association reportedly filed a formal complaint with FIFA questioning the officiating. Egyptian Football Association president Hany Abo Rida has reportedly filed an official complaint to FIFA against French referee François Letexier and his assistants, following Egypt’s 3-2 Round of 16 elimination against Argentina. The complaint stems from a string of contentious officiating decisions throughout the match, which the Egyptian federation believes went against them at key moments. Among the grievances, Egypt points to their second goal being disallowed after a VAR review flagged a foul on Lisandro Martinez in the buildup, wiping out what would have made it 2-0. The federation’s complaint also references a penalty claim for a foul on Mohamed Salah, moments before Enzo Fernandez’s header put Argentina up 3-2. After Argentina‘s third goal completed an impressive 10-minute comeback, Egypt’s bench erupted at the referee, who showed a yellow card to head coach Hossam Hassan and sent off one of his staff members. Hossam Hassan, Head Coach of Egypt, argues with referee Francois Letexier. (Getty Images) Egypt coach sounds off after elimination Head coach Hossam Hassan was similarly critical in his post-match comments, directing his frustration squarely at the officiating rather than the result itself. “I’m going to say what I think regardless of the consequences, because I don’t care anymore. Clearly, the match was fixed, and everyone saw it,” Hassan said. “And I want to say something else — if they wanted Argentina to win so badly, why bother inviting everyone to compete? We were the better team on the day, but soccer is unfair. We had a penalty claim, and the referee disallowed our third goal, and I don’t know why,” he added. Hassan was also shown crossing his arms multiple times during the match while protesting Letexier’s decisions — a gesture that resembles FIFA’s anti-racism protocol signal, sparking confusion on social media. pic.twitter.com/RKe8jfhfER— clever (@ahmeddey4u) July 7, 2026 Egyptian players and staff were seen trying to get him to stop mid-protest, and Letexier ultimately did not treat it as an anti-racism complaint.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan on Tuesday said his team had "suffered an injustice" in the wake of his team's loss to Argentina in a round of 16 match in Atlanta. Hassan took issue with the French referee on several counts, including a decision that disallowed a goal that had initially put Egypt up 2-0.
Hossam Hassan complained about Francois Letexier after Egypt lost to Argentina as the manager made claims about the referee. There were many dramatic matches in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, but none was more memorable than Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt, which left Hossam Hassan furious as the manager criticized referee Francois Letexier. Hassan said: “I thought maybe he was hiding something, that perhaps he had something to conceal. People who have something to hide sometimes can’t keep it hidden completely, and that’s exactly how I felt during that conversation.” His team let a two-goal lead slip in 14 minutes to be eliminated, with the winning goal coming in stoppage time. That led to Hassan’s explosive comments after the match as he claimed Letexier missed a foul before Enzo Fernandez’s goal, even making a gesture crossing his arms to show his frustration. Hassan claims strange things occurred In the buildup to Fernandez’s goal, there was a slight jersey pull by Alexis Mac Allister inside Argentina’s penalty area that Hassan believed should have resulted in a penalty: “There wasn’t even a VAR review. We all saw his jersey being pulled, but the play wasn’t reviewed to disallow the goal. That’s how life is: unfair.” Letexier was the referee of the match (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) This wasn’t the manager’s only complaint about the referee. The match also featured a disallowed goal, with Hassan claiming there were several questionable decisions throughout the game. Hassan said: “The outcome was influenced by internal factors on the field and during the match, as well as external factors leading up to the game. It appeared that Argentina had put pressure on the referee, which contributed to this result. We had already expressed our concerns about that referee.” Hassan on his protest after the match Even though his team came close to eliminating a powerhouse like Argentina, Egypt left the tournament disappointed after leading for most of the match. The way it ended also led Hassan to take a personal stand in protest for the remainder of the competition. Hassan said: “I won’t continue, and I promise you this: from the moment I return, I will not watch any more matches in this World Cup. This is my personal protest, my own objection, my way of making my voice heard and standing by my principles. I won’t watch a single match in this tournament.”
Egypt squandered a two-goal lead and exited the World Cup to Argentina, but Hossam Hassan was left fuming at the match officials. The post Egypt’s defeat to Argentina ‘clearly a rigged match’, says Hassan appeared first on SoccerNews.
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