Egypt team director Ibrahim Hassan launched a strong attack on the refereeing decisions following the Pharaohs’ dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Egypt were eliminated after a thrilling match in Atlanta, United States, despite taking an early 2-0 lead before Argentina completed a dramatic comeback.
Ibrahim Hassan said Egypt’s players and coaching staff were left deeply frustrated by the way the match ended.
According to the Egypt team director, the disappointment was not simply caused by elimination from the tournament, but by a series of refereeing decisions that he believed had a major impact on the game.
He explained that the Egyptian side would have accepted a normal defeat on the pitch, but claimed the circumstances surrounding the loss left the entire squad feeling unfairly treated.
Hassan said members of Egypt’s coaching staff repeatedly spoke to the referee and the fourth official about several incidents during the match.
He claimed their complaints received little response and said tensions increased as members of the Egyptian technical staff were shown cards.
Goalkeeping coach Saafan El-Sagheer was sent off, while head coach Hossam Hassan also received a yellow card.
Ibrahim Hassan described the events as “corruption with premeditation,” reflecting his personal view and allegations following the match.
The Egypt team director also referred to video footage that he said showed controversial reactions from officials following one of Argentina’s goals.
According to Hassan, some individuals appeared to celebrate the goal before quickly changing their reactions.
He argued that the footage increased the Egyptian camp’s anger and sense of injustice.
However, Hassan did not present official evidence proving that the outcome of the match had been predetermined, and his comments remain allegations made in the aftermath of Egypt’s elimination.
Hassan also criticized several incidents inside Argentina’s penalty area.
He highlighted a challenge involving Hamdy Fathy, who he said had his shirt pulled, as well as another incident involving Mohamed Salah.
The Egyptian coaching staff believed both situations deserved greater scrutiny.
Hassan also questioned the decision to disallow an Egypt goal, arguing that the Argentine player involved went down too easily before the referee awarded a foul.
The Egypt team director questioned whether the principle of fair play had been properly applied during the match.
He argued that emerging national teams fighting to establish themselves on the world stage should be given equal opportunities.
Hassan also expressed his belief that African and Asian teams do not have the same influence within world football as some of the sport’s traditional powers.
During his comments, he also criticized some individual award decisions and referred to Lionel Messi while questioning how certain honors are determined.
Ibrahim Hassan concluded by saying his greatest disappointment was seeing the efforts of Egypt’s players, coaching staff and supporters end in such painful circumstances.
He stressed that his reaction was not about personal interests, but about the national team and the Egyptian fans who had hoped to see their side continue its World Cup journey.
Egypt had taken a two-goal lead against Argentina before conceding three times, allowing the defending champions to complete the comeback and advance to the next round.