Egypt was on an emotional rollercoaster during its 3-2 loss against Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From a disallowed goal to a potential winner to only end up on the losing side, their head coach and star forward believed that the result was already predetermined irrespective of their performance on the pitch.
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Underdogs Egypt took a shock lead against Argentina and survived a penalty in the first half to carry a lead into the tunnel.Mostafa Ziko scored to make it 2-0, though his initial goal was disallowed. But the Pharaohs capitulated inexplicably as Lionel Messi’s brilliance inflicted a 3-2 defeat on them. However, it was the number of calls that didn’t go their way, cards that were not given, that defined their game according to their coach. Head coach Hossam Hassan believed his team was the better side against the defending champions.
“We looked better compared to the reigning champions. The result, the outcome, was influenced by internal factors on the pitch, inside the game, and external factors ahead of the game, no respect and fair play,” he said in the post-match press conference.
A member of the Egyptian coaching team even saw a red card after he protested a potential penalty that was not checked in the buildup to Argentina’s third goal. The reigning champions were accused of getting preferential treatment from FIFA in a group stage game against Algeria as well. But the theme of poor refereeing and controversial VAR decisions has been a recurring theme throughout the World Cup.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan:
“We looked better compared to the reigning champions. The result, the outcome was influenced by internal factors on the pitch, inside the game, and external factors ahead of the game.”
Says there was “no respect and fair play.”#Egypt pic.twitter.com/YA7yTfdIPw
— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) July 7, 2026
Post-game, Ziko, who was denied a goal due to a dubious foul in the buildup, didn’t hide his displeasure at the refereeing.
“The referee wasn’t good; he was unfair. His injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match. He doesn’t want us to win,” Ziko claimed, as reported by The Sun. “It was a rigged game. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us. Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup; it seems.”
However, he did add, “At no point did we think the match was already decided. We knew we were facing the reigning world champions.” But his frustrations and emotions are understandable. They were playing in their first-ever World Cup round of 16.
But Egypt can forgive itself if it can make a team like Argentina sweat; it means a huge deal. For now, Argentina has punched its ticket to the quarterfinals, where it will meet either Colombia or Switzerland.
