FIFA’s refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, has firmly defended the officiating team from the controversial Round of 16 clash between Argentina national football team and Egypt national football team, rejecting demands that the match officials be removed from the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversy erupted following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt, a match that featured several contentious decisions. Egypt’s Football Association and head coach Hossam Hassan criticized the officiating, claiming that “serious” refereeing mistakes influenced the outcome. Among their chief complaints were the disallowing of a goal scored by Mostafa Zico after a VAR review and the decision not to award Egypt a late penalty following a challenge on Mohamed Salah in the build-up to Argentina’s winning goal.
Responding to the criticism, Collina insisted that FIFA has complete confidence in its referees and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Speaking to FIFA’s official media channels, he emphasized that match officials make decisions independently and are never influenced by external figures, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He described allegations of bias as unfounded and warned that such accusations can place referees and their families at risk of abuse and intimidation.
Collina also defended the key VAR decisions from the match. He explained that Egypt’s disallowed goal was correctly overturned because VAR detected a foul by Marwan Attia during the attacking move before the ball reached the net. Regarding Egypt’s penalty appeal, Collina maintained that the contact involving Mohamed Salah and Argentina’s Julián Álvarez was part of normal football play and did not meet the threshold for awarding a penalty.
Following the defeat, Egyptian officials called on FIFA to send home the refereeing team responsible for the match, arguing that the errors had unfairly ended their World Cup campaign. However, FIFA has given no indication that disciplinary action will be taken against the officials, with Collina reiterating that the tournament’s refereeing performances have generally met high standards.
The incident has reignited debate over VAR’s role in major international tournaments. While supporters argue the technology has improved decision-making accuracy, critics continue to question the consistency of its application in high-pressure matches. Despite the controversy, Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will continue their pursuit of a fourth FIFA World Cup title.
